INTEODTJCTORY NOTE. 



Christmas Island, in the Indian Ocean, appears to have been known 

 to navigators from about the middle of the seventeenth century. 

 Dampier and other voyagers sent boats ashore, but, until the year 

 1887, no person appears to have been able to penetrate beyond 

 a few hundred yards from the landing-places, because of the 

 steep and rugged cliffs, covered with dense tropical vegetation, 

 by which the island is everywhere surrounded. 



In 1887 Captain (now Rear-Admiral) Pelham Aldrich, E.N., 

 visited the island in H.M.S. " Egeria," and with the assistance 

 of a party of blue-jackets cut a way up the cliifs, encamped on 

 the highest point of the island, and made some explorations towards 

 the interior. In consequence of Captain Aldrich's discoveries during 

 this expedition, the island was formally annexed to the British 

 Crown in the following year. In the year 1897 a Company 

 acquired the lease of the island, and arrangements were immediately 

 made for its thorough exploitation ; — an agricultural rent is paid 

 to the Government, in addition to royalties on all minerals and 

 timber that may be exported. 



The total area of the island is about 43 square miles, and in 

 some parts it rises to over 1,000 feet above the level of the sea. 

 Besides being the home of numerous endemic and other species 

 of animals, it is completely covered by a luxuriant tropical 

 vegetation. Down to a few years ago it was probably the only 

 existing tropical island of any large extent that had never been 

 inhabited by man, savage or civilized. Its interest, from a scientific 

 point of view, is further increased by the fact that it is at least 

 190 miles distant from any other land, and is surrounded by 

 an ocean in which the depths exceed three English miles. 



