20 Christmas Island. 



In February, 1891, Sir John Murray and Mr. G. Clunies Eoss 

 were granted a lease of the island by the British Government, and 

 in 1895-6 Mr. Sidney Clunies Ross made explorations in the higher 

 part of the island, resulting in the discovery of large deposits of 

 phosphate of lime. Finally, in 1897 the leaseholders sold their 

 lease to a small company, in the possession of which the island still 

 remains. 



During my visit a number of Malay coolies were imported to 

 clear the forest for making roads. One of these roads was made 

 from riymg Fish Cove to the cast coast, another to Phosphate 

 Hill, and a third from West White Beach to the west and south 

 coast, and by these the further exploration of the island was much 

 facilitated. Another result of these clearings is that the spread 

 of various plants introduced for food is rendered much more rapid, 

 and in the neighbourhood of the settlement several species have 

 already run wild and are entering into competition with the native 

 flora. The most successful of these newly introduced species are 

 the ' chillie,' which already forms dense masses on the shore 

 terrace near Flying Fish Cove, and the papaia, seedlings of which 

 are very numerous in the same locality, and were also noticed here 

 and there along the Phosphate Hill and south-east roads. In 

 both these instances man, no doubt, has been mainly responsible 

 for the dispersal of the seeds, but in the case of the chillies birds 

 have probably assisted. Other plants will certainly follow, and 

 in a few years a number will have established themselves at the 

 expense of the native flora. 



Since my stay in the island nearly two hundred Chinese have 

 been imported, and the presence of these men will doubtless lead to 

 the introduction and dispersal of other species of i)lants and animals, 

 and at the same time, judging from recent reports, it will bring 

 about a veiy considerable reduction in the numbers of the rats. 



In addition to the Malays and Chinese, there are now on the 

 island eight Europeans (including the wife and two children of 

 Mr. W. A. Wilkinson, the Company's engineer) and five Sikh 

 police. 



At present the chief plants introduced include coconut-palm, 

 date-palm, bamboo, sugar-cane, banana, pineapple, pomegranate, 

 papaia, nutmeg, cacao, coffee, chillies, custard-apple, pumpkins, 

 gourds, maize, tobacco. Cassia siamea, and probably several others. 

 Of some of these only a few j^lants exist, and some no doubt will 

 prove unsuitable to the new conditions of life. 



Scarcely any domestic animals have been yet introduced. There 

 are a few ducks and fowls, a nu.mber of dogs, necessarj- to keep 

 down the rats in the settlement, a goat, and one or two pigs. The 

 cat fortunately has not been taken to the island, and its intro- 

 duction shoulcl certainly be avoided, for if it were to increase to any 

 great extent the sea-birds, which are an important source of food, 

 would probably be destroyed or their numbers greatly diminished. 

 At present neither the Korway rat nor the house - mouse has- 



