HONOLULU. 391 



Island. At ten o'clock we made another island, Enderbury's, which 

 our observations placed in latitude 3° 08' S., longitude 171° 08' 

 30" W. 



On the latter island we spent the most of this day, making obser- 

 vations for dip and intensity. As it was somewhat peculiar in ap- 

 pearance, we made a particular survey of it. It is a coral island, 

 with a dry lagoon. The usual shore coral reef, which is from thirty 

 to one hundred and fifty feet wide, surrounds it, and extends a short 

 distance from its points; its greatest height above the shore-reef, was 

 found to be eighteen feet ; it is almost entirely composed of large 

 coral slabs, intermixed with sand : the slabs have the sonorous or 

 clinky sound heretofore noticed, and are likewise of compact coral 

 rock. The bottom of the lagoon is entirely formed of these, and is 

 in places below the level of high tide. The slabs are thrown and 

 piled in all manner of ways, and are generally about the size and 

 thickness of tombstones. They have the appearance of having once 

 formed an extensive pavement that is now broken up in all manner of 

 ways, and would, if laid down, cover, according to estimation, a 

 much larger extent than the whole island. 



The island was found to be three miles long, by two and a half 

 wide. The southern end is the widest, and on it are two clumps of 

 stunted shrubs and plants, consisting of Cordia, Tournefortia, Portu- 

 laca, Boerhaavia, &c. The northern end is almost bare of vegetation, 

 with the exception of a small running vine (Convolvulus maritima). 

 At this end the lagoon is most apparent. There is a small channel on 

 the eastern side, through which the water probably flows when it is 

 unusually high, and fills the lagoon, from which it is gradually evapo- 

 rated. On the west side of this island we found a quantity of drift- 

 wood, lying just on the edge of the bank of coral slabs. Some of the 

 trunks were very large, being fifty or sixty feet in length, and from 

 two to three feet in diameter. This occurrence of drift-wood would 

 lead to the conclusion, that during the westerly monsoons in these 

 seas, the winds and currents under the equator extend thus far from 

 the more western islands. The locality in which these large trees 

 are found, would show that there is at times a very great rise of the 

 waters, which must submerge the islands altogether. There were 

 likewise rats here, and, as if subverting the order of things, we found 

 their nests built on tussucks of grass, about eighteen inches or two 

 feet high, while those of the birds occupied the ground. 



At about four o'clock we were all on board, and stood for Birnie's 



