In the evening, after supper, they entertained us with an Otaheitian dance, which consisted of various writhings and distortions of the body, by no means obscene, yet in no respect pleasant. Edinburgh Philosophical Journal (1820) Vol.III No.VI Art.XXII.—Extract from the Journal of Captain HENRY KING of the Elizabeth From the Pitcairns, which I’ve described … Continue reading South Pacific: Part 4 – French Polynesia
Monthly Archives: January 2018
South Pacific: Part 3 – Pitcairn Island
In [Bounty Bay], which is bounded by lofty cliffs almost inaccessible, it was proposed to land. Thickly branched evergreens skirt the base of these hills, and in summer afford a welcome retreat from the rays of an almost vertical sun. In the distance are seen several high pointed rocks which the pious highlanders have named … Continue reading South Pacific: Part 3 – Pitcairn Island
South Pacific: Part 2 – The Pitcairns
The essence was timing. You had to hover outside the reef until a roller approached, throw on the engine, and ride through the passage on the crest of the wave. Dea Birkett, Serpent In Paradise (1997) (Landing on Henderson Island) From our starting point on Easter Island, which I described in my previous post, … Continue reading South Pacific: Part 2 – The Pitcairns
South Pacific: Part 1 – Rapa Nui
You won’t find “islomania” in a dictionary, but the phenomenon exists, just the same. Thurston Clarke, Islomania (2002) islomania A passion or craze for islands. Oxford English Dictionary, Second Edition (1989) It seems Thurston Clarke just needed a better dictionary, but at least he drew the word islomania to the attention of a wider … Continue reading South Pacific: Part 1 – Rapa Nui
Which Place Gets The Most Daylight?
So this puzzle isn’t about sunshine (the amount of time the sun shines from a clear sky), or even about the intensity of sunlight (which decreases with increasing latitude), but about cumulative daylight—the length of time between sunrise and sunset in a given place, added up over the course of a year.* It’s a surprisingly … Continue reading Which Place Gets The Most Daylight?