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REPORT MADE TO COMMODORE PERRY

OF

AN EXPLORATION OF PEEL ISLAND:

BY

CHAS. F. FAHS, M.D.,

ASSISTANT SURGEON U. S. N.

ATTACHED TO THE UNITED STATES STEAM FRIGATE SUSQUEHANNAH

REPORT

OF

AN EXPLORATION OF PEEL ISLAND.

BY C. F. FAHS, ASSISTANT SURGEON U. S. N.

      Sir: I have the honor of reporting the result of the observations on Peel Island, made by me and the party under my charge, on the subjects submitted by you for investigation. The part of the island explored by us is the northern half, or that extending from Square Rock, in a circular direction, to a line running from a point about one mile to the westward of the Paps to the eastern coast of Fitton’s bay. We ascended all the highest peaks; took their measurement; examined their formation, vegetation, and other objects of interest; descended into most of the narrow valleys; penetrated the thickest jungle; crossed the sloping plains on the mountain sides, and carefully noted their soil, mineral and vegetable productions, sources of water, and fitness for cultivation. Taking a general view of the island from the bay, or any other point, the impression is created that the whole is so rugged and rocky that it cannot be rendered fit for any use; but this is entirely removed after carefully exploring every part of it, and you are not only convinced that it can be cultivated, but that it is capable of supporting a large population. The small portions that have been tilled by the people living here, show that the ground is highly fertile and productive. It is true, only the plains on the bay have, as yet, been cultivated; but there is no reason for doubting that great portions of the remainder will be equally productive, for the soil is nearly the same everywhere.

      Near the entrance of Port Lloyd, a plain about a quarter of a mile wide commences, and extends in a northeasterly direction one mile. The bed of it is an ancient coral formation resting on trap-rock; the soil is several feet thick, consisting of a dark vegetable mould, intermixed with fine sand of disintegrated coral and marine shells. The greater portion is under cultivation, and yields abundant harvests of whatever is planted, with the least possible toil. From this plain or valley the mountains gradually rise in the form of a circle; at some parts the ascent is sudden for 40 or 50 feet, giving the appearance of terraces; then, again, plains from a quarter to half a mile wide, sloping towards the summits, are formed until within 40 or 50 feet of the highest peaks. On the northern and northwestern sides the mountain terminates in a very abrupt and precipitous ledge of trap-rock, which is washed by the waves of the sea. The first peak on the northwest I have, for the convenience of description, named A; it consists of trap-rock,

and is rounded down as if it had been exposed to the attrition of the sea or some other cause; it is 576 feet high from the level of the sea. From it, a high ridge called the Backbone extends to the head of the bay, and then branches out in several directions on the southern part of the island. Half a mile to the northeast is another peak (B), but it is not more than 250 feet high; its formation and general appearance are similar to the last. Near the most northeastern point of the island is a third peak (C), which rises rather more abruptly than the other two, to the height of 800 feet; it is covered almost to its summit with jungle-weed and a thick undergrowth of trees. From it a mountain ridge extends in an easterly direction towards Buckland island, and is the boundary to a plain which begins at the base of the peaks just described, and extending to the sea on the north. The plains sloping towards Port Lloyd are traversed at several places by deep ravines, which, during rainy weather, serve as outlets to the mountain-streams, but are entirely dry during the summer months. Most of them contain large conglomerate boulders, which at first sight appear to be sandstone, but on a close investigation prove to be several kinds of trap-rock. They, no doubt, were rolled down from the broken peaks, and were worn round by the attrition of the water and sand to which they have for ages been exposed. That portion of the island which is between the head of the bay and Buckland straits is not more than about one mile wide, and differs in some respects from that already noticed; it is not so fertile, the vegetation is less luxuriant, and the rocks present a different character. Near the central part is what I conceive to be the crater of an ancient and extinct volcano, as many facts tend to demonstrate. The form of the surrounding hills is peculiar; large masses of scoriae and cinders are found all around; along the sea are beds of hardened lava resting upon each other, occasionally interstratified with layers of sand, scoriae, and cinders. The trees are small and stunted, and the ground in many places barren and unproductive, in consequence of the soil being thin and readily dried out during long droughts. After this, small valleys, plains, and hills of various heights, extend to the east and north, when the island again becomes much wider. The two peaks called the Paps here rise, the one to 1,000, and the other to 1,100 feet above the level of the sea. On the one side, at the base, is a deep valley, which is about a mile in length and half a mile in breadth, and a stream of running water passes through the middle of it. On the other or north side is a very deep ravine, with precipitous trap-rocks rising up hundreds of feet, and at the bottom precipices 20 and 30 feet high, over which a small stream of water falls. On the southeast of the mountains large sloping plains are formed, which extend nearly to Fitton’s bay, and are covered with beautiful forests of palms.

      The whole island is, undoubtedly, of volcanic origin, as all the geological facts which can be collected tend to prove, and its general conformation and lines of hills give strong evidence. Ancient craters at this time can readily be traced; trap-rock forms its basis, and also the highest peaks; basaltic dikes passing through beds of sand; scoriae and cinders, amygdaloid and greenstone, in considerable quantities, are found at many places; and I have succeeded in tracing strata of old lava along the sea-coast, and other parts where deep sections of rock were exposed. In a ravine, running from peak C, we discovered a sulphur spring, the odor and taste of which gave the strongest proof that it was highly impregnated with hydro-sulphuric gas. Iron pyrites (bisulphuret of iron) in abundance are also found at several places. The vegetation of this island is such as is found in nearly all volcanic countries under similar latitudes. Its luxuriance appears to be in consequence of the mineral ingredients, iron, potash, soda, lime, alumina, and silica, being in such proportions as to supply its demands.

      From careful observation, I am inclined to believe that Port Lloyd was at one time the crater of an active volcano, which threw up the surrounding line of hills; and that the present entrance was a deep fissure in the side of the cone, through which streams of lava were poured to the bottom of the sea; and, when it had acquired a sufficient depth, the water came in, and has gradually been filling up its original central depth by deposit and coral formation. The deep excavations on the sides, of which I have already spoken, were, no doubt, the craters of smaller volcanoes on the declivity of the large one, as is seen in active volcanoes at this time. In this manner, I conceive, the hills more distant from the grand crater had their origin.

      The soil is mostly vegetable mould, which has been forming for thousands of years, from the gradual decomposition of a most luxuriant vegetation; intermixed with it is the detritus resulting from the disintegration of trap-rocks, which for ages have been exposed to the influence of the elements, and which has been washed into the plains and valleys, until it has acquired a thickness, in many places, of five and six feet. At several places, near the summit of the peaks, it is of a reddish color, looking not very unlike iron-clay; this was particularly the case on the smaller Paps.

      The springs in the northern half of the island are very few – only two that run constantly and contain fresh and palatable water. There are several others in the valleys; but the water is so brackish that it cannot be used, or they only exist during the rainy months. Most of the houses on the beach are supplied from wells, which generally are not more than ten or twelve feet deep. The only incidental sources of water are the heavy rains, which in some seasons fall and fill up the deep pools or caverns worn in the bottoms of the ravines, where it continues fresh and fit for use many weeks, by being covered by thick overhanging palms.

      The Flora is tropical, and perhaps as beautiful as can be found under similar latitudes. In the valleys, and along the sea-beach, numerous handsome green trees are growing, called crumeno by the people living here. It attains a large size; the trunk is thick and short; bark grey, not very thick; grain twisted and tough; the foliage very dense; leaves large and oval, smooth, and of a bright-green color; petioles short, the leaves growing in thick clusters or whorls around the branches; and from the terminal ends of the latter the peduncles grow out, bearing beautiful clusters of white rotate, polyandrous, monogynous flowers. Ascending the mountain sides, dense forests of palms are seen, growing nearly to the highest summits. They stand so close together, that but few of them become of a very large size, and they also prevent the growth of nearly all other vegetation. There are six species on the island, of which the fan palm (corypha umbracaulifera) is by far the most numerous. Many of these trees seen growing in ravines had their roots above ground five and six feet, looking like branches growing downwards. A variety of fraxinus was at several places discovered, which had grown more than two feet thick, and was covered with several kinds of parasites. There is another species of large tree, in some respects resembling the dog wood, growing abundantly on the mountain. The trunk is two and three feet thick; grain twisted; bark grey and thin; leaves oval, petiolate, green color; flowers rotate; calyx greenish, polyandrous and monogynous. The largest of all trees found on any of the Bonins is the mulberry (morus), which in some instances is thirteen and fourteen feet in circumference. The other principal trees and plants seen, were one species of laurus, juniper, boxwood, tree-fern, banana, orange, pineapple, whortleberry (vaccinieae), vitaceae, and several varieties of undergrowth. The juniper, in a few instances, was found quite large, but generally it was small and dwarfish, particularly on the sides of the Paps. The laurus camphora was nowhere seen, although it was carefully sought after. The tree-ferns (filices) were

several times seen ten and twelve feet high. Lichens, mosses (musci), and other cryptogamous plants were found in abundance. There are very few kinds of grasses, and most of these are unfit for pasturage. The jungle-weed in uncultivated tracts grows so dense, that it excludes everything else. The sedge-weed (cyperaceae) also grows very luxuriantly; mercury (acalypha), sorrel (oxalia stricta), convolvulus, –– ––? (a native term), and a few others, are the most important. The vegetables grown are sweet potatoes, Irish potatoes, yams, taro, radishes, onions, turnips, beans, peas, pumpkins, melons, &c. The sweet potato yields very abundantly, and grows to an enormous size. The Irish potato has been planted but a short time, and little is known respecting it. Indian corn is cultivated with much success. Nothing, however, appears to thrive better than the sugar-cane; it grows to a very large size, and requires scarcely any labor. There is no doubt that large portions of the island might be planted with it to great advantage.

      Very few species of animals are found here, or on any other island of the Bonin group, and most of these have been imported since they have been inhabited by foreigners. The first hogs were put on Peel Island in the year 1827, from a whaler that was anchored near the entrance of Port Lloyd. Many of them have since run wild, and are hunted like other wild animals on the mountains. The goat, originally brought here tame, has also gone wild. On Stapleton Island, it is reported, there are six or seven thousand at present. The settlers have plenty of chickens, ducks, geese, and turkeys, but there is a great propensity in them all to free themselves from the restraints of domestic life, and to return to their original state. The only other birds in a state of nature are a few kinds of finches, crows, hawks (milvus), the terragra, sandpipers, and pigeons. There are no reptiles of any kind, except a small lizard (lacerta), tortoises (chiloniae), and the iguana. The tortoise is of very large size, and is found in the greatest abundance.

      The fisheries are excellent along the coasts of all the Bonin Islands, and the fish, perhaps, as good as can be found anywhere in the East. It is unnecessary to enter into the species that are found here, as they are too numerous, and it would, moreover, require considerable time to ascertain what they are.

      Accompanying this report are several drawings^* of trees, plants, flowers, and landscapes, made by Mr. May and Mr. Portman, to whom, and also to Mr. Hibbert, I am indebted for much aid during my laborious travel in exploring the island. In concluding these remarks, I have only to observe, that they are not intended to convey more than a general idea of the subjects investigated; and, if I have succeeded in this, I shall consider myself amply rewarded.

   Commodore M. C. Perry,
          Commanding U. S. naval forces, East India, China, and Japan Seas.

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