AN EXPEDITION TO CHRISTMAS ISLAND. 151 



on Monday morning 17th at 8 o'clock, Mr. Macpherson and 

 Messrs. Jones and Jackson of the Phosphate Company accom- 

 panied the expedition and they with myself preceded the 

 coolies to cut the track and blaze the trees. The track is quite 

 level and goes due west at first and except for a few big fallen 

 trees could be used by ponies, but it was more overgrown further 

 on. At 3 o'clock we cleared a piece of forest and pitched camp, 

 the coolies and Messrs. Macpherson, Jones and Jackson re- 

 turning to the Settlement. 



18th — Messrs. Jones and Jackson came up about 9 o'clock, 

 but the coolies delayed so long that they did not arrive till 

 1 p.m. We then went on for about 1^ hour and pitched camp 

 again. Messrs. Jones, Jackson and I went a long way on what 

 was supposed to be the right track starting from a spot where 

 encampments bad previously been made and where there 

 were traces of four tracks going respectively south, south 

 west, north west and north. The Southwest Track well 

 marked, was the one taken. The yellow Ipomea was very 

 abundant here, and very showy. From the old encampment, 

 supposed to have been used by Ross, one of the party 

 affirmed he saw the sea to the south. The track went south- 

 west chiefly and descended to about 700 feet. The coolies 

 were sent back to the previous camp for the night to come on 

 in the morning. Birgus was more troublesome this night, 

 coming into the tents several times. One stole a saucepan, 

 others took away old tins. Pigeons were abundant here, 

 and the hawk is not uncommon. Our water supply was rather 

 short and had to be used with care, and only for drinking and 

 cooking. Close to where the camp was pitched we came upon 

 the very fine Hibiscus (abelmoschus) Vrieseanios a tall herb 

 about 12 feet tall densely covered with pungent bristles and 

 with large yellow flowers with a deep claret coloured eye. 

 Also a number of plants of a small ground orchid Zeuxine and 

 a single plant of a saprophytic orchid Didymoplexis ; 

 Dendrobium was common here and a Thelasis apparently 

 identical with a Javanese species was found on fallen boughs 

 of trees. Ipomea peltata with its large yellow flowers was 

 climbing up the smaller trees. The common plateau trees, 



R. A. Soc, No. 45, 1905. 



