A VISIT TO AN UNEXPLORED ISLAND.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume VII, Issue 1759, 6 February 1888, Page 3

A VISIT TO AN UNEXPLORED ISLAND.

Letters have been received from her M» jesty'sohlp Egeria, Commander Pelban Alarioh, containing particulars of a visit ahe has recently made to ChrUtm" [aland, whfch she was ordered totxploie for eolentlfio purposes. The Eueria claim' to be the first vessel that haa ever exp'ored ! this Island Christmas leland la at' dated n tbelnrii«n Ocoin, m lat lHeg 8., toiip, 105 ies. 30m ia. E. ; it la 11 00 ft above th. *c& t Is twelve miles long aud eight railed broad. The Kgerla reached the Island on Septflmoer 30th, and r pro lined there aotii October 10tH. The < fibers and men told off for exploring purposes found that he whole p'ao« was composed of coral »nd rook ; notwithstanding this, however it la covered almost completely with tree* *nd shrubs, the trees Trbloh are of large dimensions, seeming to grow literally out of the rook Itself, esrth aurfaoei being con •pieuoua by their abeenoe. It Ii uninhabited by human beings, nor ooald any traoa of animals be discovered, bat seabirds swarm over every part of the Island, and aboat four hundred wood pigeons w«r< *hot by the explorers #bile th> y reuastlneo here. No fruits or vegetable matter tit for consumption oi v d however b fi'Und, nor the existence of any supply «' fresh water, »nd the belli- f is that <b veget»'lon of 'he island is dependent f<> nourishment on the dews and the heavy rains that fall. The various speoinonniaollfCfcod of birds plants, and inseo s carefully preserved on bosrd utder tb< itreo'i >a of Mr L ■ er, tho well kno<rn naturalist— who went specially to th> island m the Egrria— will be mot home for the ßnti*r» Mm^nm and K*w Gardtnfl