THE 



EDINBURGH NEW 

 PHILOSOPHICAL JOURNAL. 



Physico-Geognostic Sketch of the Island of Oahu, one of the 

 Sandwich group. By Meredith Gairdner, M. D., Me- 

 dical Resident on the Columbia River. Communicated by 

 the Author. * 



This island is the fifth of the group of eight islands, which 

 form the Sandwich cluster, reckoning from Hawaii, the most 

 south-eastern. It is separated by a channel twenty-four miles 

 wide from the island of Monokai on the south-east, and by one 

 sixty-seven miles broad from Tawai on the north-west. It is 

 the third in rank in point of superficial extent, yielding only to 

 Hawaii and Maui, and nearly of the same extent as Tauai, but 

 is superior even to the largest of them in the proportional quan- 

 tity of cultivable land. 



Its extreme length, from Koko on the south-east to Keinna 

 oil the north-west, is forty-five miles. A straight line joining 



* Dr Gairdner, who communicates the aoove Sketch, is author of the ex- 

 cellent treatise, entitled, " Essay on the Natural History, Origin, Composi- 

 tion, and Medicinal Effects of Mineral and Thermal Springs." Before leav- 

 ing the University of Edinburgh, he had already distinguished himself by 

 great acuteness, sound judgment, and extensive range of knowledge. Meteo- 

 rology and general physics were with him favourite pursuits ; — to geology 

 and zoology he was enthusiastically attached, — and the charms of botany were 

 far from being unknown to him. Fortunately he was too late for the Landers' 

 expedition to Africa ; but having resolved to explore some other country, he 

 accepted the appointment of medical resident on the Columbia River. In 

 that remote region, the presence of such a man cannot but prove advantageous 

 to science, and also to the interests of the Hudson's Bay Company, under 

 whose auspices he is placed. The liberal and enlightened members of that 

 body, we doubt not, will find it to be their interest to encourage and give 

 every facility to Dr Gairdner. — Edit. 



VOL. XIX. NO. XXXVII. JULY 1835. A 



