MICRONESIA: MARSHALL, GILBERT, AND ELLICE ISLANDS. 789

with wonderful ferns; the others are low, flat, and dry, consisting of arid coral, and covered with trees, the foliage of which is blighted by the salt sea breezes. The climate is charming, and always equable, for the beneficent ocean furnishes at all times a superabundant supply of warm rain to all these little archipelagoes." The rocky island of Yap, which came so prominently into notice in 1886, when Germany attempted to annex the group, is the largest of the Western Carolines; the island of Hogolu, in the central portion of the archipelago, contains onehalf of the Carolinos-a brown Polynesian race; while the high basaltic island of Ponape, or Ascension Island, in the Eastern Carolines, though only 14 miles long by 12 wide, is the largest of all these islands.'

THE MARSHALL ISLANDS.

The Marshall Islands are the most northerly of the three eastern archipelagoes of Micronesia. They have an aggregate area of

about 150 square miles, and a population of perhaps 10,000.

These islands, which were annexed by Germany in 1885, consist of two chains of coral islands, the eastern being known as the Radack Chain, and the western as the Ralick Chain. Eight out of the 46 islands are low coral islands encircled by reefs -the rest are atolls or lagoon-islands. Copra is the chief article of trade. The German Commissioner resides at Jaluit, the principal atoll in the Ralick Chain,

THE GILBERT ISLANDS.

The Gilbert Islands, an equatorial group of 16 little atolls, belong to Great Britain. The aggregate area is about 170 square miles, but the population amounts to 32,800, an average of about 193 per square mile.

This group, which is cut by the Equator and the 175th meridian E., is one of the most remarkable of all the Pacific archipelagoes. The islands are so small-the largest covering only 15 square miles-and the hard coral rock is covered with so little soil, that nothing can be grown beyond a little taro, while the cocoa-nut is almost the only spontaneous plant product, and yet these barren ato`ls are more densely peopled than the most fertile islands in all Oceania. The smallest atolls have a population of 1,500 to 2,000; one of the largest islands, Taputeouca, with an area of only 10 square miles, has no less than 7,500 inhabitants, an average of 750 per square mile The climate is admirable, and the people, who are industrious fishermen and skilful canoe builders, are strong and healthy, and were much sought after by the labour Contractors from Queensland and Fiji. The foreign trade, including the Ell ce Islands, amounted to £42 000 in 1900.

THE ELLICE ISLANDS.

The Ellice Islands, which lie midway between Fiji and the Gilbert archipelago, are also within the British sphere of influence. The eight islands of this group are, like those of the more northerly groups, purely coralline, and are, in fact, called Lagoon Islands. They have an area of about 170 square miles, and a population of only 2,500, a small number compared with the swarming pop lation of the adjoining Gilbert Islands.

1. There are remarkable cyclopean ruins both at | Ponape and at Kusai, or Kersai, another volcanic island to the south-east of Ponape. On the banks of a creek on the coast of Ponape, is a massive wall, 300 feet long and 35 feet high, a gateway in which leads to courts and terraces--all formed of huge

blocks of basalt. The origin of these ruins is as mysterious as that of the huge stone figures in Easter Island, but in both cases they evidently show that a numerous, energetic, and ski ful people once occupied these islands.

POLYNESIA.

POLYNESIA, in the restricted sense of the term, that is, as applied to the third great division of the Pacific islands, embraces numerous charming archipelagoes and a vast number of scattered islets in the Eastern Pacific. These islands and island groups, all of which, with very few exceptions, lie to the eastward of the 18oth meridian, are inhabited by people of the same race-the Mahoris or brown Polynesians-speaking dialects of the same language, and extend over a tract of sea three times the size of Europe; but, though so numerous, they are so small that their combined area would hardly equal that of one of the smallest countries of Europe. Unhappily, the natives, who, as a rule, are tall and extremely handsome-being, physically, one of the finest races on the globe-have, since the time when Europeans first became familiar with them,' rapidly decreased in numbers, and "although Christianity has taken a firm hold in many of the islands, the white traders do more harm than the missionaries can do good," and the people are still diminishing, and seem doomed to disappear before "the relentless march of our too imperfect civilization."

As far as physique and appearance goes, says Lord George Campbell,' speaking of the brown Polynesians of Tonga, they certainly gave one the impression of being a superior race to ours. Their clear, light copper-brown coloured skins, yellow and curly hair, good humoured, handsome faces, their tout ensemble, formed a novel and splendid picture of the genus homo. The manly beauty of the young men, says Captain Erskine, is very remarkable, and their features are often very beautiful. Though without a written language, and, before the advent of Europeans, almost entirely without metals, while the art of making pottery was unknown to them, these Polynesian islanders were com paratively civilised, and had advanced far beyond the savage state. Captain Cook found them " liberal, brave, open, and candid, without either suspicion or treachery, cruelty or revenge." His companion, Forster, the naturalist, declares that "they all join to their cheerful temper a politeness and elegance which is happily blended with the most innocent simplicity of manners." How far they have advanced is shown, says Wallace, in "nothing more than in their treatment of women, who are no longer beasts of burden, or slaves, as among all Melanesian and many Malay tribes, but companions and equals, carefully protected from severe labour or anything that might impair their grace and beauty." Missionaries have been very active in these islands, and their labours have been crowned with a large measure of success, and counteract, to some extent, the disastrous consequences of the drink and disease introduced by European adventurers and traders.

Of the many archipelagoes of Polynesia Proper, the most im portant are the Sandwich Islands, to the north of the Equator, and the Tonga, Samoa, Hervey, Society, and Marquesas islands, and the Low Archipelago, to the south of the Equator.

A better idea of the position of the various islands may perhaps be gained if we group them in three divisions:-Northern Polynesia, comprising the Sandwich Islands and other islands to the west of that group; Central Polynesia, embracing Fanning, Christmas, and other small islands to the north of the Equator, and the Phanix, Union, Manihiki, and the Marquesas groups, to the south of the Equator; Southern Polynesia, including the Tonga, Samoa, Hervey, Society, and Austral Islands, and the Low Archipelago, with Pitcairn, Easter, and other isolated islands further east.

NORTHERN POLYNESIA.

In this division are embraced the well-known group of the Hawaiian Islands, together with several smaller islands to the westward of that group.

The smaller islands are Middle or Eastern Island, Morel Island, &c., to the north of the Tropic of Cancer, and Johnstone and Jane Islands, to the south of that line.

HAWAII,

HAWAII, or the Sandwich Islands, is next to New Zealand, the most extensive of all the true Polynesian archipelagoes, and the position of the group-midway between the Old and the New Worlds-is one of great importance. Hawaii, the largest of the eight inhabited islands, has an area of 4,210 square miles, and the entire group covers an area of about 6,700 square miles, but the population is only 154,000, only about 30 per cent. of whom are natives, the rest being Chinese, Portuguese, American, and other foreigners and half-castes. About 61,000 are Japanese.

Hawaii, the largest island, is also the most southerly; the other large islands, four in number-Maui, Molokai, Oahu, and Kauai-form a chain, extending to the north-west of Hawaii. Two of the smaller islands-Kahulawi and Lanaiare to the west of Maui; another small island-Niihau-lies to the west of Kauai. Neckar Island, to the north-west, was annexed in 1894.

All the islands are volcanic, and Hawaii itself contains the loftiest mountains and most powerful volcanoes in all Polynesia. The huge Mauna Kea, or White Mountain, 13.954 feet in height, and the once dreaded Mauna Hulalai, 11,020 feet, now slumber; but the gigantic Mauna Loa, or Grand Mountain, 13,760 feet, awakes at uncertain intervals into destructive activity, while the aweinspiring crater of Kilauea, a veritable lake of fire, on the eastern flank of the Grand Mountain, is in a state of constant activity and occasionally overflows. Enormous floods of molten lava then roll down the slopes, and some of the streams have burned their way as far as the harbour of Hilo on the one side, and on the other to the Bay of Kealakekua, the scene of the murder of Captain Cook, the famous navigator, who discovered these islands in 1778. From the eastward, these mountainous and rugged islands look bare and uninviting, but their western shores, bathed in the moist breezes of the north-east trade-winds, exhibit a succession of green forests, well-grassed valleys, and fern-covered slopes, alternating with extensive sugar plantations and rice fields.

The cultivable volcanic soil is highly fertile and productive. Sugar and rice are the staple products; but coffee and bananas are exported, and sheep, cattle,

and horses are a'so reared. The plantations are owned by Americans of Europeans, and are worked by Japanese and other immigrants. The natives, a fine and intelligent race, now thoroughly civilised, are steadily diminishing in numbers, while the foreign element is rapidly increasing. The demand for labour on the plantations and the decrease in the native population have been met by an extensive immigration of Japanese, Portuguese, and other foreigners. Since the Islands became American, restrictions have been placed on the immigration of the Chinese.

The position of the islands for trade is very good: the imports amoant to nearly 3 millions sterling, while the native exps, in 1905, were valued at 5 millions. The bulk of the trade is with the United States. Mal steamers connect the islands with Vancouver, San Francisco, Yokohama, Hong-Kong, Auckland, and Sydney, and a considerable number of small s eamers and sailing vessels are constantly employed in the inter-island trade, There are about 150 miles of railways in Hawaii, Maui, and Oahu.

The government of the Sandwich Islands was, until 1893, a Constitutional Monarchy: the executive power being vested in the native Sovereign while the legislative authority was exercised by a popularly-elected Parliament of two Houses. In that year, however, the Queen was deposed, and a republicar form of government established. After protracted negotiations, a treaty annexing the islands to the United States was ratified in July, 1898, and ther administration was taken over by the Americans in the following month, and they are now classed as a territory of the United States. The Revenu amounts to nearly 31⁄2 million dollars, and there is a small Public Debt,

Nearly all the natives are Christians, and schools are established all over the islands.

HONOLULU (39), situated on an excellent harbour on the south coast of the island of Oahu, is the capital and largest town. This beautiful town is lighted by electricity and well supplied with tramways and telephones, while the charming streets and squares are shaded with lovely palms, tree-ferns, and oleanders.

CENTRAL POLYNESIA.

Central Polynesia embraces a few islands to the north, and several groups to the south of the Equator.

To the north of the Equator are two British islands-Christmas and Fanning --and several islets-Howland, Baker, &c.—which belong to the United States.

To the south of the Equator are several isolated islands and groups, belonging to Great Britain, and one group, the Marquesas, which belongs to France THE PHOENIX, UNION, AND MANIHIKI ISLANDS.

The Phoenix, Union or Tokelau, and Manihika Islands, together with several isolated islets-Malden, Starbuck, Christmas, Fanning, &c.--all belong to Great Britain, with the exception of two islands in the Phoenix group and two of the Union Islands which are occupied by the Americans.

The Phoenix Islands are all within about 5° of the Equator; the widelyscattered Union and Manihiki Islands lie further south, between the Ellice Islands and the Marquesas. All of them are low coral islands, very seldom visited. Some of them contain deposits of guano, which have been exploited by the English or American traders, and one of them-a small atoll called Pens hyn Island-is

"interesting as being the extreme eastern outlier of the Melanesian race. The inhabitants are tall, of a dark brown colour, have wavy hair sometimes frizzled into mops, and prominent nose and brows. They are described as being excessively noisy and quarrelsome. They fish for food or dive for pearl-shell all day, come home by sunset, eat, and begin to talk. They soon quarrel; the women join; they wrangle and storm; the children even join in; and this keeps on all night. It all ends in nothing, they never fight, but bluster, and shout, and scream, night after night."

The natives of Manihiki or Humphrey Island, which gives its name to the group, are Christians, and can read and write English. Further to the southwest are the Suwarrow Islands, now also British.

The mountainous Marquesas Islands, which belong to France, are of volcanic origin and, like all the volcanic islands of Polynesia, are picturesque and fertile.

With one exception, however, the coasts of these islands are unlike those of nearly all volcanic islands in the Pacific, in that they are not fringed by coral reefs. The natives are said to surpass all the other South Sea Islanders in physical beauty, the men are well-proportioned, and have fine regular features, while many of the women are as fair and handsome as any in the South of Europe. But, although the French have long since put an end to civil warfare and cannibalism, the Marquesas islanders have decreased and are still decreasing in number. In 1850, the islands were estimated to contain 50,000 inhabitants-now they contain only 4.300. The area is 480 square miles.

The largest island, Nukuhiwa, was formerly a French penal settlement. The French Commissioner and nearly all the Europeans, about 200 in number, live at TAIOHAI, a small but busy port on a beautiful inlet on the southern coast of this charming island.

Under this term we may include the numerous groups of coral and volcanic islands that extend for 3,000 miles to the east of the Fijian Archipelago.

The principal groups, from west to east, are the Tonga or Friendly Islands, the Samoa or Navigator Islands, Cook or Hervey Islands, the Society Islands, Tubuai or Austral Islands, and the Low Archipelago. The isolated Pitcairn, Easter, and other islands are still further east. Pitcairn Island lies about a hundred miles south of the Gambier group in the Low Archipelago, while Easter Island is within 2,500 miles of the coast of Chili, to which country it be. longs, and is separated from the easternmost of the Polynesian archipelagoes by more than 1,000 miles of open sea.

TONGA-SAMOA.

Tonga, a Polynesian word for "islands," is the native name of three groups of volcanic and coral islands about 400 miles east of Fiji. They were discovered by Tasman in 1643, and visited by Cook in 1777, by whom they were called the "Friendly Islands." Most of the 150 islands and islets of Tonga are low, the atolls and coral teefs especially, and few of the volcanic islands rise over 160 feet above the sea.