448 COMPENDIUM OF GEOGRAPHY AND TRAVEL 



enough was murdered in 1875, Yive years later Bishop 

 Selwyn succeeded in ingratiating himself with the natives, 

 and a missionary station was established. Vanikoro is 

 the most southerly of the main group. Its highest peak, 

 Mount Kapogo, has an altitude of about 3000 feet. The 

 island is scantily populated, is covered with dense forest, 

 and is said to be very malarious. On the reefs off the 

 south-west part of the island were lost the two ships of 

 La P^rouse in 1788. Their fate remained a complete 

 mystery for nearly forty years, until Captain Dillon, 

 guided by the discovery of certain relics on Tucopia 

 Island, eventually found the remains of the vessels in 

 1827, and a cleared spot on the neighbouring beach, where, 

 as he was informed by the natives, the survivors built 

 and launched a vessel from materials obtained from the 

 wrecks. A further search by Lieutenant Benier of the 

 Fabert in 1883 resulted in the discovery of other relics, 

 including a bronze cannon. Volcano Island, or Tinakula, 

 as it is called by the natives, although small and hardly 

 exceeding 2000 feet in height, is remarkable for the 

 constant state of eruption of its crater, which has been 

 apparently active since its discovery nearly three centuries 

 ago. The Swallow or Matema Islands are chiefly note- 

 worthy as the scene of the murder — on Nukapu — of 

 Bishop Patteson, in 1871. 



The Santa Cruz Islands are inhabited by a dark- 

 skinned and frizzly-haired people, who bear the marks 

 of the intermixture of two or ' more races, and may be 

 described as of sub-Papuan stock. They are mostly 

 monogamists, and live under chiefs, and are a fishing 

 rather than an agricultural people, constructing well-built 

 and large canoes, and navigating boldly to long distances. 

 The villages are neat and carefully kept, and often 

 surrounded by stone walls, but the pile-built dwellings so 



