154 AN EXPEDITION TO CHRISTMAS ISLAND. 



form of Physalis minima looking very different from the tall 

 glabrous plant common in cooler and less rocky spots. In the 

 afternoon among other things the climber Limacia n. sp. was 

 found in flower for the first time. 



24th — Went up to Irvine Hall with my boy, Kassan, 

 and two boatmen and a gardener to stop there the night and 

 start early f^r the Murray Hill Track next morning. Accord- 

 ingly started at 6.15 and walked fast to Ross' camp and 

 started from there along a track to the Northwest, at the 

 commencement of which was an inscription in Chinese stating 

 that it was the road to the big hill and place for water. The 

 track immediately disappeared and the woods proved very 

 dense. Here I noticed upwards of a hundred Birgus beneath 

 an Arenga devouring the fruit. They had eaten almost every 

 seed rejecting the pulpy outside cracking and eating all the 

 seeds with their powerful jaws. After pushing a long way and 

 finding no track or rise, I thought it advisable to return and 

 found the men behind had neglected to mark the track 

 properly, so that we had some difficulty in finding the way 

 back. After a short rest returned to Irvine Hall and after a 

 cup of tea back to the Settlement. The whole time occupied 

 in walking was ten hours and a half. It is clear that it is 

 practically impossible to get to Murray Hill and back in the 

 day, unless the track was specially opened beforehand. A 

 few specimens of various plants were obtained and the 

 phosphate rock again met with. Dentrobium sp. was in 

 flower. 



Next day I went to North East Point collecting flowers 

 of Pisonia excelsa which are white and scented like almonds, 

 and Croton caudatus, just coming into flower. 



26th — To Andrews Lookout, crossing Phosphate Hill. 

 Here I found large trees of Spondias in flower with fruits 

 also. The trees were too big to climb but we were able to 

 find fallen sprays of flowers and plenty of fruit and to get 

 leaves. Premna lucidula a small straggling tree was in flower 

 as was Crinum asiaticum but this latter on the face of the 

 precipice was inaccessible. A fine cycad >vas seen in the wood 

 growing on a rock. 



Jour, Straits Branch 



