2 Christmas Island. 



carpenters brought on board a good tree ; the other canoe brought 

 aboard as many boobies and man-of-war birds as suificed all the 

 ship's company when they were boiled. 



"They also got a sort of land animal, somewhat resembling a 

 large crawfish without its great claws. The island is a good height, 

 with steep cliffs against the south and south-west, and a sandy bay 

 on the north side, but with very deep water steep to the shore." 



The date of Dampier's visit was March, 1688. The next 

 account of the island is given by Captain Daniel Beekman, in 

 1718 [2]. He remarks that "the island looks exceeding pleasant, 

 being covered with lofty trees, and may be known by the following 

 directions: — (>oming from the north-westward, it appears pretty 

 high, with a saddle in the middle ; the westernmost land is the 

 highest, trenching away to the northward to a low, flat point; 

 the easternmost point is low, but bluff. I sounded within eight 

 miles of the low point, but had no bottom with the lOU-fathom 

 line out. The island is about seven leagues from east to west." 



This writer gives a remarkable sketch, in which the heights are 

 ridiculously exaggerated, the hill over the north-western point 

 being made to look like a mountain with three peaks ; his estimate 

 of the length of the island also is much in excess of the truth. In 

 1771 the " Pigot," East Jndiaman, attempted to find an anchorage, 

 but failed. The crews of this and other passing vessels reported 

 the occurrence of wild pigs, coconut-palms, and lime-trees, none 

 of which really existed. The first attempt at an exploration of the 

 island was made by the frigate "Amethyst" in 1857, from which 

 a boat's crew was landed with the object of attempting to reach 

 the summit, but the inland cliffs proved an insuperable obstacle, 

 and the ascent was abandoned. 



In 1886 the surveying vessel, "Flying Fish" (Captain Maclear) 

 was ordered to make an examination of the island. The coast was 

 found to consist of limestone cliffs, and it was only after sailing 

 nearly all round the island that an anchorage was found in a bay 

 with a wliite shingle beach on the north coast. To this the name 

 Flying Fish Cove was given, and it is now the site of a small 

 settlement. Another white beach was seen towards the north- 

 west point, but no anchorage was found near it. A number of 

 men were landed, and collections of the plants and animals were 

 obtained, but, since the island seemed of little value, no serious 

 attempt at exploration was made | 3]. 



In the following year H.M.8. "Egeria" (Captain Pelham Aldrich) 

 called at the island, and remained about ten days. Captain Aldrich 

 and his men cut a way to the top of the island, and sent home a 

 number of rock specimens obtained on the way, and Mr. J. J. Lister, 

 who accompanied the expedition as naturalist, made extensive col- 

 lections both of the fauna and flora, but had not time to penetrate 

 to the middle of the island [4-6]. 



The island was formally annexed by H.M.S. " Imperieuse " in 

 June, 1888, and placed under the Straits Settlements Government. 



