39^ THE ADMIRALTY ISLANDS. 



I am convinced that both the Humboldt Bay and Admiralty 

 Island natives believed that we bought their weapons in order 

 to use them as such. They frequently, when offering spears 

 and bows, showed by signs how well they would kill. No 

 doubt they think the Whites are a race which cannot make 

 bows and arrows for themselves. 



The ship was anchored in "Nares Anchorage," which is 

 sheltered by a line of outlying reefs running parallel with 

 the shore, and by numerous small islands. On the line of 

 reefs are two larger islands named Wild Island and Dentre- 

 casteaux Island, the latter being nearer to the anchorage. 

 These were the only two islands seen by us to be inhabited. 



The land surface in the vicinity of Nares Bay, consists of a 

 series of low irregular ridges rising one above another, with 

 wide flat expanses at the heads of the bays on the coast, which 

 are scarcely or not at all raised above sea-level, and thus are 

 in a swampy condition. The mountains appear, from their 

 form, to be volcanic ; and it is probable that the obsidian used 

 by the natives for their spear-heads is procured in them. A 

 trachytic lava was found to compose one of the outlying islands ; 

 and a similar rock was observed on the mainland where it 

 commenced to rise. A platform of coral-sand rock forms the 

 coast-line of the main island in many places ; and a similar 

 rock is the only component of most of the small outlying 

 islands. 



From the position of the Admiralty Islands with regard to 

 the equator, their climate is necessarily an extremely damp one. 

 A great deal of exceedingly heavy rain fell during the stay of 

 the " Challenger." Rain fell on five days of the seven, during 

 which we were at Nares Anchorage, the total fall being i'66 

 inch. The temperature of the air ranged between 86° and 

 75° F., the mean of maximum and minimum observations 

 being about 8o° F. ; and the air was loaded with moisture. 

 Dense clouds of watery vapour hung about the forest-clad 

 ranges, keeping the mountains most frequently concealed ; 

 and in the evenings clouds of mist hung about the lower land, 

 looking like smoke rising from between the densely-packed 

 trees. In a bay some miles to the eastward of the anchorage 

 of the " Challenger," the mouth of a small river, apparently 

 the outlet of the drainage of the mountains on this side, was 

 found, and also a very small brook ; but running water was not 

 elsewhere observed, and the rain probably drains to a large 

 extent into the swamps. 



The main island, as viewed from seawards, is seen to be 

 densely wooded everywhere. Along the summits of the ridges 

 Cocoa-nut Palms show out against the sky, accompanied by 



