NARRATIVE OF THE CRUISE. 
569 
The nutmeg trees on the island, about half a million in number, produced in 1870 
1,022,207 lbs. of nutmegs, and 197,143 lbs. of mace. 
The weather at Banda is rainy and moist throughout the year, August, to 
November being the driest months. The northwest monsoon blows occasionally with 
violence, while the southeast monsoon seldom exceeds a moderate breeze. There is 
monthly mail communication with Banda from Batavia. 
The Resident and some of the other gentlemen at Banda stated that in July and August 
the water was usually milky white, but during the Challenger’s visit it was exceptionally 
clear ; in connection with this it may be mentioned that on the 28th September, shortly 
before reaching Banda, Mr. Buchanan procured in the water-bottles from 400 and 600 
fathoms a milky-white water, the appearance being due to an amorphous precipitate. 
It having been ascertained from the Resident during the stay that a small steamer 
which had been for a cruise to Ceram had broken down on its return when within a few 
miles of Banda, and that the crew had no provisions on board, the steam pinnace was sent 
out to search. In the evening the pinnace returned, having found a small boat, contain- 
ing the Dutch master and half a dozen Malays so exhausted from want of food as to be 
unable to reach the islands. They reported leaving the steamer two days previously, and 
that its crew had then no water left ; under these circumstances the ship proceeded out 
in search of the steamer, and steamed nearly over to Ceram without seeing it or its crew, 
natives of that island, consequently it was concluded that they had reached' a harbour 
there, and the Challenger returned to Banda. While the ship was away, the steam pinnace 
remained with some of the naturalists dredging in 20 to 30 fathoms, close to Banda, when 
along with other specimens numerous Monaxonid sponges were obtained. Mr. S. O. 
Ridley, F.L.S., of the British Museum, who is preparing a Report on this group, has 
furnished the following notes 
“ The Monaxonida (as it is proposed, in accordance with principles laid down by Pro- 
fessor Sollas 1 and advocated by Professor F. E. Schulze, to term that group of the Siliceous 
Sponges named Monactinellidse by Professor Zittel) are, as the investigations of the 
‘Lightning’ and ‘Porcupine’ in the North Atlantic, those of Dr. Bowerbank in the Shetland 
seas, and those of Professor Agassiz in the Gulf of Mexico would lead us to expect, well 
represented in the Challenger collections, viz., by about two hundred species, of which 
about seventy are new to science ; and they are by no means confined to the more 
moderate depths. Representatives of the group were obtained at seventy-three distinct 
localities out of the total number of dredging and trawling Stations. 
“ Of the six marine families, Renieridee, Chalinidse, Desmacidinidse, Ectyonidse, 
Axinellidse, and Suberitidse, commonly recognised in this suborder, the Desmacidinidse 
take unequivocally the first place in the collection, both from their abundance and 
1 See Cassell’s Natural History, vol. vi. p. 326, 1883, 
