CH. II ON BOABD B.M.8. 'FLYING FISH' 33 



on the coast of the island facing us, and a reef of sharp 

 steep rocks project from the promontory into the sea. 

 At a distance of a couple of cables from this rises a great 

 rock, called the Batu Kapal, or Ship Kock, white with 

 the guano of numerous sea-birds. As the sun slowly sank 

 on the horizon that night a crowd of frigate birds and 

 boobies flew round and round the ship, making the evening 

 hideous with their shrieks and screams. When darkness 

 set in, however, they gradually became quiet, and went 

 away to roost, we believed, on Batu Kapal. 



The following morning, when Lieutenant Eooper^ and 

 I scrambled up the almost precipitous sides of the rocks to 

 take some observations and plant the little white surveying 

 flag upon its summit, the birds were all gone. Not a single 

 one remained behind to guard their island home. 



We found the rock to be covered with guano, but with 

 the exception of half an old egg-shell I could see no other 

 signs of nests or eggs. 



The only plant I could find upon the island was a small 

 species of Picus {F. nitida) ,* and it was a wonder to me how 

 it could possibly keep a foothold in the crevices and holes 

 of such a barren and inhospitable soil. 



After seeing all that there was to be seen on the rock, I 

 put off in the whaler for a low sandy beach which lies to 

 the south of it, and spent the morning in wandering through 

 the forest and on the hill-sides. In the afternoon Eooper 

 joined me, and we lunched together in a grove of screw 

 pines near the beach. Among the screw pines there were 

 a few young palm trees and some large aroids. The mid- 

 rib of the leaf of one of these aroids was thirty-six inches 



' This gallant officer soon afterwards lost his life by the accidental dis- 

 charge of a pistol whilst surveying off Murray Island, in Australia. His sad 

 loss was keenly felt by all who knew his open-hearted amiable character and 

 sterling abilities. 



* Ficus nitida, Bl. = Urostigmamicrocarpa, Miq. 



D 



