240 Cruise of the "Alert" 



seemed to be of great antiquity. I noticed the same land-birds 

 as at Du Lise, but there was an addition in the occurrence of the 

 Madagascar crow. Frigate-birds were numerous all over the 

 island, and, strange to say, were frequently to be seen perch- 

 ing on the branches of tall forest trees. In using the word 

 " forest " for the first time whilst speaking of these islands, I should 

 add that a great portion of Glorioso was covered with a dense 

 growth of virgin forest, upon which the clearing operations of 

 the colonists had made comparatively feeble inroads. I need 

 scarcely add that our proximity to the great island of Madagascar 

 was rendered apparent by the above-mentioned novelties as to 

 fauna and flora which we encountered on our voyage southward. 



The greater portion of the circumference of the island is fringed 

 by a broad reef of dead coral and coral sandstone, on which rests 

 in many places a thin coating of mud or sand. This platform 

 of reef, and also the sandy beach proper, together exhibited 

 examples of a good many shells, most of which, however, were 

 dead specimens. We saw representatives of the genera Conns \ 

 Turbinella, Fusns, Cyprcea, Trivia, Nassa, Natica, Neritina, Haliotis, 

 Dolium, and Oliva. Besides these shells there was little else to 

 be seen, except fragments of organpipe coral (Tubipora musica), 

 and the bleached tests of an Echinus, a species of Hemiaster (?). 



On the morning of the 8th of May we were again under way 

 and sailing for Mozambique Island, which is about five hundred 

 miles from Glorioso. On the evening of the ioth we passed 

 within a few miles of Mayotta, one of the Comoro Islands, and 

 had a fine view of its high volcanic hills, — a sight peculiarly 

 grateful to eyes now for some time accustomed to seeing land 

 only in the shape of low coral islands. As we passed to the 

 eastward, the shadow cast by the western declining sun on the 

 face of the island brought out the outline of its hills in the form 

 of a bold silhouette. 



May I2tn, about midday, looking to the westward we saw a 

 great flat-topped hill appearing above the horizon. This was our 



