AN EXPEDITION TO CHRISTMAS ISLAND. 155 



-27th— To the foot of Tom's Ladder in Flying Fish Cove, 

 where Poly podium Phymutodes new to the flora was found 

 growing on the cliffs of coral reef> but only a few plants. 

 The way along the foot of these cliffs is troublesome being 

 a steep mass of coral reef talus, after passing which one comes 

 to the outcrop of basalt and ash, with a talus of fine dust often 

 difficult to cross. It was extremely dry here and many of the 

 plants were quite dried up. This is the only place at which I 

 found the peculiar grass Pdnicum Andreivsi which was almost 

 quite withered up. The pink flowered Boerhaavia grew upon 

 the rock faces. To add to our difficulties at one place stones 

 were falling from the top of the high cliff. Finally coming to 

 in impassible precipice I descended by a long slope to the Cove. 



The next day the " Islander " arrived I walked over to 

 the Waterfall and got Ipomea biloba in flower and Nelochia 

 also. The 29th was spent chiefly in collecting plants for 

 cultivation near Tom's Ladder and while so doing I found a 

 single plant of the rare Aspleninm on the cliff there. Next day 

 explored the cliff's behind the Cove further towards the East, 

 but got but little of interest. Part of this route requires care- 

 ful climbing as the rock 5 * are often loose and dangerous. A 

 very large rock shifted its position while I was passing it and 

 fell on my leg, but I fortunately managed to get from under it 

 as it fell and escaped with a deep bruise, otnerwise it would 

 certainly have broken my leg. Further on we came to a spot 

 where by the aid of fig-roots it is possible to climb up to the 

 plateau where there is a track leading to the pipe-line and so 

 to the Settlement. 



28th — The first rainy day since our arrival, raining almost 

 all day. The "Islander" left the next day for Singapore. 

 There were heavy rollers for the first part of the day and 

 steady rain for most of the voyage which ended at about 7 p. m, 

 on November 2nd. 



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



