THE PHCENIX AND OTHEK ISLANDS 527 



reaction will doubtless set in which ^vill leave the unhappy 

 islanders in a worse state than before. Penrhyn or Ton- 

 garewa was at one time the seat of several different 

 tribes living in a state of perpetual war with each other, 

 but some years ago a Peruvian ship made a descent on 

 the island, and kidnapped a large number of the natives, 

 almost depopulating it. Since then the copra trade has 

 made the people almost rich, and they are renowned as 

 the best divers in the Pacific, pearl-shell being abundant 

 in their lagoon. 



Starbuck, about 5 miles in length and less than 2 

 in breadth, is a bare coral rock, without trees, lagoon, or 

 proper landing-place — a worked-out guano island of little 

 or no value. Maiden, about 150 miles to the N.IST.E., is 

 populated, and in parts fertile. It produced a considerable 

 quantity of guano, and still has on it the remains of some 

 large morals — ancient sepulchral buildings to which refer- 

 ence has already been made. On the central ridge of the 

 island are more than a hundred platforms of cruciform 

 shape, built of coral slabs three feet high, and filled in 

 with a compact mass of coral, shells, and stones. There 

 are also a number of shelter-places or huts formed by 

 three coral blocks, with a fourth on the top. More than 

 thirty wells were also found cut in the coral rock from six 

 to nine feet deep, and a number of shallow graves contain- 

 ing human bones much decayed, and shell ornaments. 



Christmas, Fanning, Palmyra, and the few islets in 

 their neighbourhood have been termed the America 

 Islands, from being chiefly frequented by people of that 

 nation for the guano they afford. The first-named is 

 noteworthy as being perhaps the largest lagoon island in 

 the Pacific. The Phoenix group was at one time the 

 seat of operations of the " Phoenix Guano Company," but 

 the islands have been exhausted, and the wliarves and 



