iv PREFACE. 



account of the geology and of the coral reefs, together with 

 my special descriptions of the islands, for another volume, 

 which I hoped to publish shortly, if my first undertaking 

 proved a success. My reasons for thus acting were to be 

 found in a lack of funds and in the necessity of not over- 

 lading my first venture, which, like a ship carrying a heavy 

 though perhaps a valuable cargo, might founder within sight 

 of tli^e port of departure. This difficulty has been met by 

 a generous arrangement of my publishers, in consequence of 

 which both volumes will be brought out together. All my 

 notes relating to these isla.ids are there embodied, with 

 the exception of my coral reef observations, which have 

 been recently published by the Royal Society of Edinburgh 

 in their Proceedings (1885-1886). However, to make this 

 volume more complete, I have added a short introductory 

 chapter containing a general description of the islands. 



It is necessary that I should here briefly allude to the 

 circumstances under which my observations and collections 

 were made. Had I been previously aware of the difficulties 

 and discomforts that would attend me, I should have 

 hesitated to have performed more than a tithe of v/hat I 

 finally accomplished "per varios casus per tot discrimina 

 rerun)." Inexperienced and deprived of any oflicial support 

 or recognition of other than my professional duties, 1 was 

 only urged on by the consciousness of the importance of the 

 work I had voluntarily undertaken. At length my health 

 began to give way, and it was with mixedfeelings of saiisfaction 

 and apprehension that I returned to the islands for the third 

 and last year. One cause of continual worry laj^ in the fact 

 that f)r two-thirds of the time spent in this region, I had 

 only my cabin for the disposal of my collections, the size of 

 the ship (a schooner of about 150 tons), and the arrange- 

 ments made before leaving England, not permitting of any 

 other plan. 



Under these circumstances I received the greatest assist- 

 ance from Lieut.-Coinmander C. F. Oldham, who, notwith- 

 standing that he had reeeived no instructions concerning 

 myself", smoothed the way for me and gave me the oppor- 

 tunities I desired, often, it should be added, at the expense 

 of much anxiety to himself. To the officers, Lieut. C. 

 F. de ]M. Malan, Lieut. T. PI. Heming, and Lieut. A. 



T T t • 



Leeper, 1 am lastingly indebted, not only for their constant 

 aid, but also for the sympathy they evinced towards myself 

 and my pursuits. From the petty-officers and crew I re- 



