234 Cruise of the "Alert" 



filiformis, which they use for making a sort of tea, and to which 

 they give the name " Liane sans feuilles." 



The huge land-tortoises of Aldabra have been imported, and 

 seem to find a congenial home in the island. There was a herd 

 of seven roaming about among the bushes, one of which was said 

 to be able to carry two men on its back. 



Among the introduced plants and vegetables we saw the 

 papaw, custard-apple, pepper, sweet potato, onions, lettuce, 

 capsicum, etc. 



Pearl-shell is collected on the reefs, but not as yet in sufficient 

 quantities to establish a lucrative industry. In this respect the 

 island is not so fortunate as Alphonse, for there are no sheltered 

 rock-pools in which the shell can be collected by swimming- 

 divers without danger from the sharks ; the sea everywhere flow- 

 ing in over the outer edge of the broad fringing reef, and the 

 great reef to the southward only drying in patches at low tide. 



Small water-worn fragments of precious coral (C. rubruni) are 

 from time to time picked up on the reef, but we could not glean 

 any information as to its precise habitat. We met with none in 

 our dredgings, which ranged up to a depth of twenty-two fathoms. 

 It probably inhabits the deeper water on the outer slope of the 

 bank. Madame Hoyaeux, who was most kind and hospitable, 

 presented me with some fragments which had been picked up on 

 the reef, and which resembled the Corallium rubrum of the 

 Mediterranean. 



There are many wells on the island, but in all the water has a 

 saline taste. It is serviceable enough for washing and cooking 

 purposes ; but for drinking, the inhabitants rely upon the rain- 

 water which they collect. 



On the forenoon of the 28th of April we anchored about a mile 

 and a half to the westward of three small islets, which rest on the 

 southern extremity of the Providence Reef. I then accompanied 

 the captain on a boat-trip to the islets, visiting the two which lay 

 nearest. The most northerly of these we found to be a low and 



