of a Voyage round the War hi. 53 



sisted of a series of mounted specimens in large glass cases. 

 They were mostly Chilian, but in many cases were not labelled. 



We left Valparaiso on Feb. 24th for Easter Island, which 

 is about" 2000 miles west of Chile. We sailed the whole way 

 and sighted Easter Island on the fourteenth day after leaving 

 Valparaiso. 



On Feb. 28th (lat. 31° 15' 40" S., long. 87° 40' W.) an 

 example of Procelsterna cinerea followed us for some time, 

 and the next day I saw three more of the same species. 

 I noticed a few Petrels for about a week after leaving Val- 

 paraiso, but afterwards we sailed for days without seeing a 

 bird of any sort. When we reached Easter Island I observed 

 many Noddies, Sooty Terns, Gannets (Sulci yiscator), and 

 Frigate-birds. There is said to be one indigenous land-bird 

 on Easter Island, but I did not see it. It was described to 

 me as being something like a Robin. I only had about 

 six hours ashore. Easter Island is now used by a Chilian 

 Company as a sheep- and cattle- run, and is covered entirely 

 with grass ; there are no trees, and I did not see any shrubs. 

 I examined some of the huge stone images, for which the 

 island is famous, and procured from the natives a large 

 number of bones of the original inhabitants — presumably 

 the people who carved these huge images. Easter Island 

 is rightly called the " Mystery of the Pacific," for, besides 

 the images, there are several caves in the crater of the 

 volcauo (called liana Kao), which have wonderful carvings 

 of the rising sun, mermaids, &c. on their walls. But I 

 believe that if a proper archaeological expedition were 

 made to the island a good deal of light might be thrown 

 on the subject, as there must be a great many more relics 

 to be found. The human bones are dug out from the 

 piles of rocks on which the images are placed, and this 

 leads to the supposition that the latter were erected as a 

 monument over the bodies of great men. 



I only obtained two species of birds on Easter Island, 

 namely, a Tinamou {Nothoprocta perdicaria), introduced 

 from Chile and breeding on the island, and the White Tern 

 (Gygis Candida), which was apparently nesting on the ledges 

 inside the crater of the volcano. As regards mammals, rats 



