BIOLOGICAL COLLECTING ON "TIN-CAN ISLAND" 



By HENRY C. KELLERS, 

 United States Navy 



Niuafoou Island in the Toga Archipelago, nicknamed " Tin-Can 

 Island " for reasons explained later, the last independent kingdom 

 in the South Seas, was the site selected for the operations of the 

 1930 United States Naval Observatory Eclipse Expedition. Through 

 the courtesy of the Naval Observatory and the friendly cooperation of 

 the Navy Department, I was again detailed to act as representative 

 of the Smithsonian Institution for the purpose of making biological 

 collections. The expedition left San Francisco July 31 and arrived at 

 Tutuila, American Samoa, August 13. We remained at Samoa four 

 days while the U. S. S. Tanager was loaded with the 60 tons of stores 

 and scientific apparatus, and the 12,000 feet of lumber required in 

 setting up the various cameras and astronomical instruments. Leaving 

 Samoa August 18, we arrived off Niuafoou Island August 21. The 

 shore is rocky, with lava benches backed by cliffs 70 to 100 feet 

 high rising abruptly from the ocean. Landing on the lava rocks at 

 the village of Angaha was a most difficult feat, but luck was with us, 

 and the sea was calm for 48 hours, a very rare occurrence. All the 

 equipment, including the tube of the Einstein camera which weighed 

 1 100 pounds, was transferred from the small boats to the lava rocks 

 with the assistance of the natives without accident. The equipment 

 was then hauled up a steep trail to the top of the cliff 70 feet high and 

 the camp site was located on the summit near the village of Angaha. 



Niuafoou Island, pronounced New-ah-fo-oh, latitude 15 33' 52" S., 

 and longitude 175 37' 46" W., was discovered by Captain Edwards 

 in the British Naval vessel Pandora, August 3, 1791, and named by 

 him Proby Island ; it was afterwards named Good Hope Island by 

 the Dutch navigator Schouten, and is still so designated on the hydro- 

 graphic charts. The nickname " Tin-Can Island " was given to it 

 from the unique method by which mail is delivered there. The mail 

 steamer, which comes about every six weeks, throws the mail over- 

 board in a sealed can and the natives swim out and tow it to the 

 shore. The outgoing mail is carried out to the steamer by the swim- 

 mers, who hold it on poles above the water. Niuafoou Island, one of 

 the Toga Archipelago, is the last independent kingdom in the South 

 Seas, ruled over by Queen Salote Tabou and a parliament, foreign 



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