64 



PHYSICAL HISTORY OF MAN. 



received by one of our men. The Cocoa palm and the Morinda were 

 both absent; but the Pandanus was abundant. 



I landed also on Rose Island ; which is situated far westward of the 

 preceding, and within a day's sail of the Samoa or Navigator Group. 

 It is still smaller than Bellinghausen, although possessing an open- 

 ing into the lagoon; and at high water it is chiefly submerged. The 

 whole flora of the island was found to consist of but two species of 

 plants ; the Pisonia? forming a grove of some three or four acres ; and 

 a Portulaca, scattered about the outskirts. The grove was tenanted 

 by myriads of sea-birds : and the tern, as they rose from beneath the 

 low branches, might almost be taken in armfuls. Among species of 

 different genera, each bird was observed to have but a single egg ; as 

 though the reported compact of some of the Islanders, had extended 

 to the feathered tribes. Blocks of lava, from five to thirty pounds in 

 weight, were met with on different parts of the reef ; and it seemed 

 difficult to account for their presence ; drift-wood affording a barely 

 possible means of conveyance. We never met with a second instance 

 of the kind. 



On the passage from the Feejee to the Hawaiian Islands, the Vin- 

 cennes passed through the Phcenix Group. The first island visited, 

 was small, and was named on the charts, Gardner^ s Island. On land- 

 ing, I observed that the house-fly was absent, as well as the cocoa 

 palm ; and the only evidence of the visits of natives, consisted in the 

 presence of great numbers of rats. 



On the following day, a small patch of coral was discovered, and 

 not being down on the charts, it received the name of M'Kean's 

 Island. Its very insignificance rendered it formidable to the navigator. 

 I obtained a seat in one of the boats sent to examine it, and on our 

 way, experienced the novelty of being within three miles of land, 

 without the possibility of discerning it: for it rose very slightly above 

 the water, and produced neither trees nor bushes, but only low scat- 

 tered herbage and tufts of grass. It was a mere roosting-place for sea- 

 birds, and was literally crowned with them ; while, as it was near sun- 

 set, others were arriving from all directions to take their stations in 

 the throng. While we remained in the vicinity, a large shoal of 

 porpoises came dashing along, and after frolicking about the boat, at 

 length arranged themselves in a novel manner ; with the eyes above 

 water, gazing at the unusual spectacle. At another island of the 

 group, a number of 'black-fish' were equally inquisitive; and some 



