THE KINGSMILL ISLANDERS. HI 



frequency of rains. Variable winds from the northward and westward 

 prevail at this season, and they have violent gales from the south- 

 west : these, according to Kirby, are typhoon-like. The natives 

 plant stakes to prop up their houses, and tie them down, to prevent 

 them from being blown away. These storms last for three or four 

 days, veering gradually round to the north. The leeward sides of 

 the islands receive most damage, and both land and trees are swept 

 away. Kirby states, that the lee side of Makin has worn away 

 during his residence. In these gales the trunks of large trees are 

 thrown on the west side of the island, together with large lumps 

 of resin, similar to that found in the soil at New Zealand, which the 

 natives use to scent their oils with : these trees, sometimes two feet 

 in diameter, were thought to be of the pine species ; many stones 

 are found in their roots, from eight to ten inches in diameter ; these 

 are a fine basalt, and the natives use them for various purposes. 



From May till September the weather is fine, with clear skies, and 

 only occasional showers; and during this time the wind blows con- 

 stantly from the eastward. This is the season in which the natives 

 make their voyages ; they never venture abroad in the winter months, 

 even from island to island, being well aware of the danger of so 

 doing. 



Earthquakes are occasionally experienced in these islands. Kirby 

 says he has felt ten or twelve sufficiently severe to shake down a 

 house : the natives exhibit no fear on account of them. The direc- 

 tion of the oscillations seems to be from the southwest. 



The population of the group, from the best data which was ob- 

 tained, is about sixty thousand souls. At Drummond's Island, where 

 there was the best opportunity of a personal examination, the estimates 

 were above ten thousand : this is considered the most populous island 

 of the whole group. On Apamama, Kirby saw collected from six to 

 seven thousand warriors, belonging to it, Nanouki, and Kuria : the 

 joint population of these three islands may therefore be reckoned at 

 twenty-eight thousand ; it would seem reasonable to estimate the 

 remaining twelve islands, which have been observed to be thickly 

 inhabited, at the same number.* This apparently would give from 

 four to five hundred inhabitants to the square mile ; for, if only the 

 dry land were to be taken into the account, there would not be more 



* Wood estimates that of Makin at five thousand. 



