CHAPTER XX. 



EASTER ISLAND. 



FOURTEEN DAYS after leaving Valparaiso, Easter 

 Island, the " Mystery of the Pacific " was 

 sighted. 



Easter Island is 2300 miles west of Chile, and, 

 though it is comparatively well known by repute 

 on account of the huge images, hewn out of lava, 

 that are to be found in many parts of the island, 

 especially near the sea shore, it has been very 

 seldom visited. 



This Island was first discovered by Roggewein, 

 a Dutch captain, on Easter Day, 1721. Roggewein 

 states that on first landing he was surrounded by 

 several thousand natives. Cook, during his second 

 voyage, estimated the number of inhabitants as 

 700. This, however, would appear to be an 

 under-estimate, as in 1860 they are said to have 

 numbered 3000. Mr. A. A. Salmon, after many 

 years' residence on the island, states that during 

 the years 1850-60 the population was nearly 20,000 ! 

 Various other statements as to the numbers of 

 Easter Islanders have been made by other writers 



