General Description of the Group.

The islands are all volcanic: in two of them, indeed, signs of volcanic activity are to be seen at the present day, though on a limited scale. They appear to be situated on an oceanic plateau which extends from New Zealand towards the Tonga group, on which soundings are obtained at depths much less than in the adjacent areas, but still so great as to show that the islands form, as it were, the tops of volcanic cones rising to a great height above their bases. The depth of water between Sunday Island and Macauley Island is 3,960ft., and forty miles north of the first named it is 3,600ft. The group is situated in the north-easterly production of the axis of the volcanic zone of the Bay of Plenty, which, continued still farther north-eastward, strikes the Tonga and Samoan groups, places where volcanic action is still going on. As mentioned above, two, if not three volcanic disturbances have taken place at the Kermadec Islands within recent years, and earthquakes were very frequent there at one time: Mr. Bell told me of a very severe one which took place on the 5th April, 1881 (the disastrous earthquakes which killed over a thousand people at Chios, in the Mediterranean, occurred on the 3rd and 4th April, 1881); but since the eruption of Tarawera on the 10th June, 1886, they have ceased entirely. The eruption of 1870 or 1872 was evidently a very violent one: not only was the great crater on Sunday Island much affected by the covering of mud, stone, and pumice scattered all over it, but a small island was upheaved in Denham Bay, which, whilst it remained, formed a shelter sufficient for vessels to anchor under. Several of the whaling crews landed on it, amongst them Captain Hoosier, and Reed, an officer of the notorious "Petrel." Mr. Henry Cook also mentions that on his second visit to the island in the Auckland whaler "Magellan Cloud" (this would be about 1877) the lagoon in Denham Bay was nearly dry, and that page break

Mr. Bell's Settlement-Sunday Island.

Hoisting the flag.

page 19 "a mountain of sand had been thrown up by the eruption in the middle of the bay; but when I was there the action of the waves had washed it down and left a shoal." Lord George Campbell, in his account of the voyage of the "Challenger," page 137, says, "The islands are uninhabited, though not long ago an American family lived on one of them; but we heard from the whaling ships at Tonga that they had been frightened away by an earthquake, which, they say, has thrown up a new island a little to the southward of the group." We have further proof of this upheaval in the "Wolverine Rock," a feature in Denham Bay which was added to the chart by Her Majesty's ship of that name, and which, had it existed during Captain Denham's excellent survey, could not fail to have been noticed, for the sea constantly breaks on it. The island has been described as being formed of cinders, lava, &c., and the ground was hot when the sailors landed on it.

Being in south latitude 30°, the islands are outside the influence of the trade-winds, but are situated in the so-called "variables." The prevailing winds are such as we have in the north of New Zealand—i.e., south-west and westerly in winter and north-cast and easterly in summer. It is evident from our experience, and that of the "Herald" and others, that the wind frequently blows with considerable force, and that strong breezes—not to say gales—are the rule rather than the exception in the winter. The rainfall appears to be plentiful, but still not too much. The climate is mild and equable as to temperature: judging from inquiries made, and our ten days' experience, it is slightly warmer than the North of New Zealand, but not to a very great amount. Doubtless the insular character modifies the heat which might be expected from the latitude; but still in some of the sheltered valleys facing the north we experienced quite a summer warmth. Mr. Bell mentions the occurrence of two hurricanes during the time he has been on the islands: they occurred in January, 1879, and February, 1880, and blew with great force, commencing in the south-east and thence working round to the north-east, where they died out. We saw the effects of them in the heaps of decaying logs at the foot of the cliff in Denham Bay; but I am of opinion that these must have been exceptional, or the vegetation of the island would show signs of them. Frosts, of course, are unknown.

The following are the areas of the islands and islets of the page 20 group: Sunday Island, 7,200 acres; Herald group of islets, 85 acres; Macauley Island, 764 acres; Curtis Islands, 128 acres and 19 acres; L'Espérance, 12 acres: total, 8,208 acres.

Sunday Island is twenty miles in circumference, and is roughly triangular in shape. The highest point on it—Moumoukai—is 1,723ft. above sea-level. It is rugged and broken over a very large extent of its surface, and, except in a few places, is covered with forest. The most prominent feature in its topography is the large crater, occupying a position nearly central, but somewhat nearer the northern shore. This crater is a mile and three quarters long by a mile and a quarter in width, and, as the bottom of it is but 40ft. above sea-level, its walls are generally over 1000ft. high, and occasionally rise to 1,500ft. and 1,700ft., though they fall to 180ft. in one place on the north side. From the crater-rim, ridges extend in several directions towards the coast, and in most cases end in abrupt cliffs and bluffs, frequently 1,000ft. high. The ridges have many steep gullies scoring their sides, but, notwithstanding this, a considerable area of somewhat broken, not to say undulating country may be found, not too steep for cultivation. Of level land there is exceedingly little. In Denham Bay there is a level flat about a mile and three quarters long, with an average width of 10 chains, though it is nearly double this in the centre, containing about two hundred acres. About one-third of it had been cleared and cultivated by the inhabitants; but it is now abandoned to a few pigs and goats, and has become overrun with heliotrope to such an extent that its eradication would be very expensive. The pohutukawa and ngaio trees are also beginning to encroach on the old clearings, and will soon hide them. On the north coast, extending westward for a mile and a quarter from Fleetwood Bluff, is a flat of about two hundred acres, partly bush and partly cleared, where Mr. Bell's cultivations are situated, and where the soil is of the richest description. This plateau is about 200ft. above the sea-shore. Another small flat east of the Bluff, of about ninety acres, overgrown with ngaio and other wood, is not of much use, as the eruption covered it thickly with pumice. A slope of thirty acres or so in East Bay, and a valley of fifty or sixty acres near Boat Cove, exhausts the flat land of the island, excepting in the bottom of the crater; but here, although there is flat and undulating land, it has been utterly destroyed by the eruption, page break

Lake (Old Crater) Sunday Island.

Shewing Forest destroyed by eruption 1872.

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Green Crater Lake-Sunday Island

page 21 at any rate for many years to come. The smaller of the two lakes in the crater was the scene of activity in 1872. Vast quantities of pumice, rock, sand, and mud have been ejected, covering the old floor of the crater to a maximum depth of 12ft., the lighter fragments of which were cast on to the greater crater's rim, and in their fall brought down all the forest with them. A thinner deposit has been thrown on to the hills to the north-west. The vegetation is slowly gaining a hold on the crater-bottom, and clumps of pohutukawa, ngaio, tutu and other shrubs are gradually hiding the desolate-looking ashes from sight. This part of the island had been described before the eruption as being covered with pohutukawa and nikau-palms, and the soil of exceeding richness, such as would grow anything. The Green Lake is a perfect little crater, and on its banks in several places the steam still escapes, but not in any great amount. The water is cold, and has somewhat of a mineral taste. Steam also escapes from crevices in the precipitous cliffs of Denham Bay, and warm water oozes out of the sand at low water on the north coast, thus showing that the volcanic forces have not entirely ceased action. The soil everywhere on the island is very rich: it is formed by the decomposition of a dark-coloured pumiceous tuff and a black andesitic lava, with which is intimately mixed a fine vegetable mould. Being entirely forest-clad and uninhabited till so recently, the soil of the island has not suffered the destruction by fire so common in New Zealand, and I believe it is capable of growing anything of which the latitude allows. The great luxuriance and richness of the vegetation all bear witness to the excellence of the soil, which is everywhere—except where destroyed by the eruption, and on the steep cliffs—the same rich loam. It has been suggested that, if the forests were cleared off, the steepness of the hill-sides would cause landslips; but I think this would not occur to any great extent. The pumiceous tuffs, are very porous, and thus allow the water to percolate freely and quickly to great depths, preventing that accumulation of surface-water which engenders slips. The soil, indeed, is too porous, for the want of water is one of the drawbacks to the island. Only in one place did we see a small running stream; all the other numerous gullies are quite dry, excepting here and there where a little water stands in the hollows of the lava. Three of the four lakes on the island are, however, fresh water, but, excepting that in page 22 Denham Bay, are from their position useless for economic purposes.

The vegetation has a strong New Zealand facies: indeed, it is difficult to believe, when down in some dark gully, that one is not in northern New Zealand. The forest is composed for the most part of pohutukawa of all ages and sizes: our shipbuilders would here find a supply of this valuable wood which would meet the requirements of the colony for many years to come. In December the island is said to be a glorious sight, covered as the trees then are with their fine crimson flowers. A handsome variety of the New Zealand nikau-palm grows to a large size and in great quantities. Mapou, whauwhau, karamu, ngaio, karaka, kawakawa, and tutu are the principal New Zealand forms. Two varieties of tree-fern grow to a very large size. There are other trees peculiar to the island or to Polynesia, amongst which the Corumbium (a remarkably handsome tree), the candlenut or tuitui, and a handsome Dracaena, the root of which is very rich in sugar, are most noticeable. Ferns abound everywhere, as does the triangular-stemmed toetoe or cutting-grass. This and the Cape-gooseberry take possession of the cleared land, to the exclusion of anything else. Of the introduced plants, we saw or know to flourish there the following, all those seen looking most healthy: Two kinds of edible arum, fourteen varieties of banana, six varieties of taro, a kumara, oranges, lemons, citrons, shaddocks, limes, custard-apple, mamee-apple (papaw), rose-apple, yellow guava, pomegranate, two yams, melons, calabash, grapes, apples, pears, peaches, Spanish chestnut, pineapple (in bearing), mango, strawberries, Tonga bean, sugar-cane, ufilei (a very fine kind of yam), peanuts, marrowfat beans, kapi (a New Guinea plant with an edible root 2ft. long, 1ft. thick, with leaves 6ft. to 8ft. long and 3ft. broad), and maize, besides ordinary vegetables in great profusion.

Fish abound round the coast in great quantities. We caught hapuka of great size, a variety of kahawai (a very handsome fish), kingfish or yellow-tail (a delicious fish, very superior for eating to our New Zealand species), and trevalli, besides others whose names I have no idea of. Several turtle of the hawks-bill kind were seen, but they are apparently very difficult to catch. They do not breed here, but go north to the warmer coral-islands.

Sunday Island Produce.

The land birds are very few—a tui (whose note differs some-what from that of the New Zealand species), a kingfisher, a lark, paroquets (on Meyer Island), a hawk, the grey duck, and, strangest of all, a pukeko, whose presence here raises some questions as to the origin of the avifauna most difficult to answer. A pigeon like that of New Zealand, and other birds, have become extinct since the introduction of eats, which have beceme wild and increased very much. The little blight-bird (Zosterops) was seen, and it is said the larger cuckoo—the kohoperoa—is common in September, whilst the smaller one—the pipiwharauroa—is more rarely seen. Strange to say, some linnets and goldfinches found their way here two years ago, but they have not been seen since.

The albatross breeds in Nugent and Napier Islets, the gannet (without the yellow head) on Meyer Island; but the bird of most importance is the mutton-bird, which breeds here in September and October. It lays its eggs on the ground amongst the trees on the hills. The young are caught in large numbers and preserved, forming the principal article of diet of the islanders. They are by no means unsavoury eating. The species differs from the New Zealand one, which is very apparent from its cry. Mr. Bell told me that our tihitihi does come to one part of the island during the season to breed. Dr. Stockwell describes the scene when the birds are breeding as being most remarkable; the place is literally covered with birds, young and old, and the air is darkened by their flight. They have no fear of man, and lighted constantly on his tent.

The wideawake gull frequents the island, and breeds on the sand in Denham Bay, and the tropic-bird is an occasional visitor.

Goats, which were introduced many years ago by the first settlers, abound everywhere, and seem to thrive well. Mr. Bell has three hundred merino sheep which he brought here from Otago, and which do remarkably well; they breed every nine months, and the ewes generally drop doublets. At present he has a difficulty about feed for them, for the European grasses sown in the clearings are invariably killed by the caterpillar. He now adopts the plan of propagating the Poa pratensis by dividing the roots and hand-setting it. We saw about fifteen acres of grass planted in this manner this season, which was doing well, whilst the older crops were more luxurious than I ever saw that species page 24 of grass attain to. There are a few pigs in Denham Bay, from which place they are prevented from spreading by the precipitous cliffs all round.

The only animal native to the island is a small grey rat, which is very plentiful in summer, but is supposed to hybernate during the winter. We saw one that had been partly eaten—by a hawk probably; it was about 5in. long.

The island has no harbour, and the only place approaching even to a bay is Denham Bay, on the west side, and this is exposed to the west and south-west winds, which cause a tremendous ocean-surf to break on the beach. The best landing is at the north end of the beach, but with easterly weather it is possible to do so anywhere. The beach is formed of exceedingly fine grey gravel. On the north coast there are two beaches, one a mile, the other half a mile long, on which landing is practicable; at the latter place Mr. Bell keeps his boat, but the best landing is at the Fishing-rock, where boats can lie alongside the rocks in ordinary weather. At Boat Cove landing is also possible, but there is no beach, and the boulders make it it very awkward to do so. The only stream of water seen was about half a mile northward of Wilson Point, and 200yds. from a black-lava point which there juts out. In very fine westerly weather it would be possible for a boat to land here on the boulders and procure water.

As there is no harbour, vessels have to be guided by the direction of the wind as to where they should anchor, choosing the sheltered side of the island for so doing. Anchorage on good sandy bottom seems to be obtainable in most places. In a strong easterly breeze Captain Fairchild anchored in Boat Cove, and found fair shelter close to the shore, but as far as our experience goes the anchorage quite close under Meyer Island is the best in easterly weather; we found good shelter here in a south-east and easterly gale, when Denham Bay was not nearly so good on account of the heavy seas rolling in there.

The difficulty of landing or shipping cargo is the most serious drawback to the island, and until this is remedied its undeniable advantages of soil and climate are in a great measure lost. I venture to say, however, that this difficulty may be to a certain extent obviated by simple means in several places by making use of a wire rope, one end of which should be anchored out and the other fastened to the top of the cliffs, and page break

Fishing Rocklanding Place-Sunday Island

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North Anchorage-Sunday Island.

page 25 down which cargo might he transported as on a wire tramway. This would he possible in several places, and, further, both at Fishing-rock and Boat Cove, cargo could be frequently shipped by means of a crane which would lift it beyond the wash of the waves.

It appears to me that it is premature to attempt settlement on Sunday Island at present whilst the colony has still plenty of land available and nearer to a market, but the day will come when its rich soil and fine climate will attract settlers. Situated as it is, only about fifty or sixty hours' steam from Auckland, tropical fruits could be gathered there ripe and shipped to most parts of New Zealand in a fresh state, instead of in the stale condition in which we now receive them from Polynesia. A climate and a soil which will produce new potatoes and maize any month of the year, and where bananas take only twelve months to grow 20ft. high, and then bear full crops of fruit, cannot but be a valuable acquisition, and when the difficulty of shipping has been overcome the island could produce enormous quantities of these and other fruits. Until these shipping appliances have been provided it would seem that the production should be confined to some very portable and yet valuable commodity, and I think that silk, in the form of cocoons and grain, would form one of such articles. Arrowroot would, no doubt, grow well, as it docs so in northern New Zealand. Olives also would flourish there. As a winter resort the island may yet find a use. The coast scenery is very fine—indeed, under some conditions quite grand.

We saw a number of dressed and undressed kauri logs strewn around the coast, the brands on which showed them to have come from the northern rivers, thus showing the set of the currents. An Australian cedar log was also seen in Denham Bay.

The Herald Islets form a group of eight islets and rocks lying on the north-east side of Sunday Island, and from one to two miles off it. They are mostly bare rocks, breeding-places of the sea-gulls; but Meyer Island (485ft. high) is a little larger, containing about thirty acres, and, notwithstanding its steepness, is covered on the west side with bush, principally pohutukawa and ngaio. The soil is remarkably rich, being a product of the decaying vegetable matter and guano. At the time of our visit the young mutton-birds were to be found there in hundreds, whilst the green paroquets were so tame as to be easily caught page 26 by a snare. The islet possesses a fine little boat-harbour on the west side. There were goats here at the time of the "Herald's" visit, but we saw none.

Macauley Island, situated sixty-eight miles to the south of Sunday Island, is the next in point of size, though it is but about a tenth of the area of Sunday Island—i.e., 756 acres. It is a little over a mile and a quarter long from east to west, and somewhat over a mile north-and-south. Seen from any side it presents a pleasant appearance. It is also an old volcano, but now quite extinct. The highest point, which is situated at the western end, is 781ft. above the sea-level, and from here the surface inclines to the east by gentle slopes and easy undulations, somewhat cut up by shallow gullies, and the whole clothed with a beautiful sward of grass, so smooth and so green as to resemble in some parts an English lawn. Nearly three-fourths of the island is ploughable land, the soil being a fine, dark volcanic loam, the most recent product of the little crater on top. The island is surrounded by perpendicular cliffs, 600ft. high at the western end and from there decreasing in height towards the east, at which side they are about 200ft. above the sea-level. These cliffs may be scaled on the north side at a place we named the "Lava Cascade," from the fact of a flow of andesitic lava having followed down one of the little gullies from the crater above and then fallen over the cliff, forming a rude staircase. Landing is possible in a little sandy bay on the east side of the island, where Haszard Islet forms a shelter, and it is probable that from it a way is practicable up to the level above, though we had not time to ascertain the fact. Captain Fairchild landed us on the north side, on the rocks; but this would only be practicable with a trained crew like that of the "Stella." The vegetation is, as has been said, principally grass of two kinds—one a fine, smooth, close-growing one; and another of a coarser kind, but with an equally close habit. The cutting-grass grows in bushes dotted here and there, and a few low shrubs of Corumbium and ngaio were also seen, in addition to a few ferns in the sheltered spots. But at one time there must have been scrub of a larger growth, for we observed the charred stumps of some ngaio of a good size. I am at a loss to conceive what plant Lieutenant Watts refers to under the name of "mangroves," for no such thing does, or ever could, grow there. We were not able to ascertain whether permanent water is pro- page break page 27 curable; it was seen in one of the gullies lying in the hollows of the lava, but this was after some heavy rain of a few days previously. The island abounds in goats—we estimated that we saw over a hundred, but amongst them very few kids, and the cause of this we assign to the presence of a fine black-and-white dog, which doubtless hunts the kids for food. The presence of this dog seems to point to there being permanent water on the island. How he came there is a mystery; either he was left behind by some party who possibly landed to hunt the goats, or he may be the last survivor of some shipwrecked crew. We regretted being obliged to leave him there, for he will in time probably kill all the goats, and thus may deprive some shipwrecked persons of necessary food, although, I would observe, the quantity of fish and crabs in the rocky pools on the shore and the numbers of large limpets (as big as small saucers, and good eating) would serve as food for a length of time to any one cast away here.

Off the north coast of the island we discovered a dangerous rock not noticed in the chart or mentioned in the sailing directions. It is situated N.¼ W., distant two miles and nine-tenths from the highest part of the island, and appears to have about 6ft. or 8ft. of water on it. Captain Fairchild named it "MacDonald Rock," after the mate, who first saw it. There are 15 fathoms of water at two cables' length to the west of it. There appear to be no other dangers round the island that do not show. The passage between Macauley and Haszard Isles is available for boats, and appears to have a depth of 10ft. to 15ft. of water in it. The "Stella" anchored in 18 fathoms about about half a mile to the north of the Lava Cascade.

We saw several hawks, some blight-birds, and a large number of green paroquets, so tame that some of the men caught them by putting a hat over them. Both Sunday and Curtis Islands are visible from Macauley Island.

Curtis Islands are two remarkably rocky islets situated twenty-two miles from Macauley. They are separated by a deep channel about a quarter of a mile wide, in which we nowhere got less than 15 fathoms of water, and in which there are no dangers for the largest vessel, or they certainly would have been seen in the very heavy sea running on the two visits the "Stella" paid to the islands. The larger island is about a mile and a half in circumference, and half a mile in length south- page 28 east and north-west. The cliffs rise perpendicularly all round—indeed, sometimes overhang, except at the north-west end, where there is a fine little cove, which runs in for about a hundred yards, with plenty of water in it. The head of this cove leads right into the crater, and forms the only place where landing is at all practicable.

The crater is very interesting, inasmuch as it is still active, though in the solfatara stage, and sends forth a considerable amount of steam from numbers of fumaroles scattered over its bottom. It is formed by an encircling ring of steep precipitous cliffs—excepting where the cove breaks in on the north-west side—of about 400ft. to 450ft. altitude. The diameter of the crater is about 150yds., and its floor is formed by a flat of mud and rocks, amongst which the hot water bubbles up in numbers of places, and fearful-looking pools of boiling mud seethe and twirl their contents about. A strong stream of hot water runs away from the crater into the cove, the salt water of which is quite warm for 50yds. from the shore. In several places on the cliffs the steam escapes from crevices; indeed it does so also on the outer cliffs of the island quite away from the crater. Sulphur is found, but in no great quantities. Our visit to the island was of very short duration, as night was coming on, and the following morning the wind and sea got up so much as to oblige us to leave. I am thus unable to say what the top of the island is like, but it evidently is a mere expansion of the crater rim, on which here and there a few patches of green Mesem-bryanthemum or ice-plant, and one or two other plants, do not even serve to hide the bare and rugged rocks. The island is, in fact, the mere rim of a crater, projecting above the sea. The other islet—which, as it had no name, I ventured to call after Mr. T. F. Cheeseman—is a mere rock with a little of the ice-plant growing on it, but of no interest or use excepting as a breeding-place for sea-birds, many of which were seen on both islands.

L'Espérance, or Brind, or French Rock is situated fifty-two miles S.½ W. (mag.) from Curtis Island. It is a bare and desolate-looking rock about 250ft. high and about 250yds. long. Its steep and rugged sides, up which the great waves were dashing, prevented our attempting to land. On the east side there is a peculiar crater-like hole in which shelter could be obtained by any one so unfortunate as to be wrecked here. The rock is of page break

Curtis Island Crater

From the North.

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L'Esperance Rock

South-One mile distant.

page 29 a dark-brown colour, with some portions of a reddish hue, which have somewhat the appearance of scoriaceous lava, and this seems to have been ejected from the little crater. A few ice-plants grow on the more level parts of the rock, and vast numbers of pretty little dove-coloured terns dot the rocks and cover the sea in its neighbourhood. It is not likely that there is any water on it. The rock could be put to no possible use, though it serves as a visible landmark to the dangerous Havre Rock situated ten miles north-north-west of it, and which is just awash.

In conclusion I would submit, for the consideration of the Government, the advisability of having some provision made in Macauley and Curtis Islands for distressed crews in the event of shipwreck, and that some arrangement should be made for a periodical visit to the group by the Government steamer, or by one of the island traders. The cost of providing a hut, water-tanks, and a few provisions would not be great, whilst it would possibly be the means of saving life. Should the Government steamer visit the islands again in the winter, I would also suggest that some trees be planted on Macauley Island, and possibly also on Curtis Island.