The Pacific: The Least Known Region 555 



cific fauna and flora. Protected by their 

 isolation from the struggle for survival 

 which continental species must contin- 

 ually maintain ; nurtured in an environ- 

 ment admirably tempered to an easy ex- 

 istence ; rendered non-resistant to intro- 

 duced disease by long generations of im- 

 munity ; situated on small islands which 

 afforded no means of retreat, the native 

 species of both animal and plant life 

 have in most cases proved unable to exist 

 in the aggressive competition with hard- 

 ier types. 



The decay of the native bird life in 

 many islands is remarkable, although 

 other than exotic influence has assisted 

 in their destruction. On the island upon 

 which Honolulu is situated, more than 

 half the native species of birds have be- 

 come extinct during the last century. 

 Upon the land mammals of the region 

 the effect has been even more disastrous, 

 and most of the few aboriginal species 

 have so utterly disappeared that no re- 

 liable description of them has been pre- 

 served. In some cases even their former 

 existence is questioned. The botanical 

 species have in the same way been 

 crowded out by more persistent foreign 

 plants or have been destroyed by domes- 

 tic animals. 



Upon marine life very little modifica- 

 tion appears to have as yet taken place, 

 and it is safe to presume that, unless 

 some altogether unexpected factor arises 

 within the region itself, this will long 

 remain stationary. There are, however, 

 evidences which suggest that the Ha- 

 waiian coral reefs are not in such a vig- 

 orous condition of growth as formerly. 



ADVANTAGES OF HONOLULU FOR PACIFIC 

 EXPLORATION 



Situated in mid-Pacific, Honolulu af- 

 fords the best center from which this 

 great work can advantageously be con- 

 ducted. The foundation of the Pacific 

 Scientific Institution proves that the op- 

 portunity of this favored city is appre- 

 ciated by its inhabitants, and that the 

 work which has lain so long neglected 

 will soon be commenced. 



With headquarters at Honolulu, it is 



proposed to dispatch parties of trained 

 workers upon a specially equipped vessel 

 to the various island groups. At con- 

 venient centers, substations will be estab- 

 lished, through which communication 

 with the home office may be maintained. 

 Each expedition will consist of a corps 

 of experts, who will carefully record all 

 that is found of sufficient interest to pre- 

 serve. A careful and elaborate series of 

 anthropometric data will be tabulated ; 

 the languages, religion, law, mythology, 

 legend, and genealogy of each people will 

 be recorded ; their technology, art, and 

 medicine will be exhaustively studied. 

 Series of mammals, birds, reptiles, in- 

 sects, and botanical specimens will be 

 preserved ; the coral reef, the marine 

 fauna and flora, the ocean currents, the 

 geology and the meteorology, will all be 

 investigated, until the whole realm of 

 nature has yielded up its store of scien- 

 tific data. 



It is anticipated that the work of ex- 

 ploration will be completed in fifteen 

 years. As soon as they can be pub- 

 lished, exhaustive accounts upon the eth- 

 nology, zoology, and botany of said 

 groups will be issued. The most impor- 

 tant work of publication will be deferred 

 until all the data of the various expedi- 

 tions have been received and reduced to 

 order. Under the assistance of the fore- 

 most scientists of America and Europe,, 

 the records of the whole exploration will 

 be then examined and compared. The 

 publication of these final volumes will! 

 probably rank as one of the most inter- 

 esting and important additions to human 

 knowledge that has ever emanated from 

 a single press. 



During the fifteen years in which the 

 exploration is in progress, many other 

 scientific institutions will be established 

 by the central one, supplemental to its 

 work. Of these, one of the most impor- 

 tant will be a botanical garden and gar- 

 den of acclimatization, in which will be 

 grown and studied many of the impor- 

 tant plants procured by the collectors. 

 The production of new and improved 

 varieties of tropical fruits and flowers 

 will be an important work of this depart- 



