Page:The American Cyclopædia (1879) Volume XII.djvu/796

782 PACIFIC OCEAN drone archipelago, into which the typhoons of the China seas sometimes extend. They occur most frequently in May and June, October and November. The tides of the Pacific exhibit in a much larger degree than those of the Atlantic the diurnal inequality (see TIDES) by which one of the tides of the day is rendered much higher than the other. In some places this is so marked that to ordinary observation there appears to be but one tide in 24 hours. At Tahiti the solar tide exceeds the lunar, a phenomenon which has thus far not been observed in other parts of the world, though it probably prevails throughout that part of Polynesia. The Pacific ocean is noted for the great number of its islands. We have already mentioned the continental islands forming its western limits. The others, called oceanic isl- ands, are grouped according to certain prin- cipal directions, like the summits of submerged chains of mountains. As in these, the direc- tion is not perfectly constant, and the chains are formed by several parallel courses. Ac- cording to Dana, there are two principal trends in these islands, a northwesterly and a north- easterly one, crossing each other at right an- gles. The former is the prevailing one. To it belong the Hawaiian chain, in the prolon- gation of which, though without connection, are found the Galapagos. The great Polyne- sian chain is formed of a number of links, parallel or overlapping, beginning in the west with the Pelews, and continuing through the Caroline, Ralick, Radack, Kingsmill, Samoa, Society, and Paumotou islands ; in the contin- uation are found Easter island, and at a long distance Mas a Fuera and Juan Fernandez. The Marquesas and Fanning islands form a parallel chain. The Australasian or Melane- sian system is connected with the continent of Asia through Java and Sumatra ; it comprises Papua, the Admiralty, Louisiade, Solomon, New Hebrides, and Loyalty groups, New Cal- edonia, and the northern part of New Zealand. To the northeasterly system of trend belong the main part of New Zealand with the Auck- land and Macquarie islands, and as a parallel chain Chatham, Bounty, Campbell, and Emer- |ild islands. The Feejee islands lie near the intersection of several chains, and are difficult to associate with either. The Ladrone and Bonin islands belong also to the northeasterly system. All the oceanic islands of the Pacific are either volcanic or formed of coral ; in fact they may all be referred to the former origin, those formed only of coral marking the place of a volcanic peak in an area of subsidence. Dana has given, in his " Corals and Coral Isl- ands," what are supposed to be the areas of subsidence and elevation in the Pacific. The inhabitants of the Pacific islands belong to two distinct races, the Malaysian and the Polyne- sian. (See MALAYO-POLYNESIAN RACES.) Their distribution is one of the most interesting chap- ters of ethnology, connected as it must be with the prevailing course of winds and cur- rents. They have carried with them almost everywhere the dog, the pig, and the domestic fowl. In many of the groups of islands the natives have at the present day generally em- braced Christianity, but at the same time have received the curses apparently inseparable from the introduction of civilization among savage nations, under the influence of which the pop- ulation is diminishing with fearful rapidity. The white race is rapidly encroaching, and dis- placing the natives, particularly since the more progressive Anglo-Saxon branch has occupied the shores of this ocean, and established new centres of civilization in Australia, California, and New Zealand. Lines of coasting steam- ers are established along the whole coast of America, from Alaska to the straits of Ma- gellan, and the coasts of Australia and New Zealand ; and transatlantic lines have brought into close connection California, the Hawai- ian islands, Japan, China, and Australia. The marine mammalia of the Pacific have played an important part in the commercial history of the world, but they are being rapidly de- stroyed. The fur of the sea otter, formerly very common on the northern shores of Amer- ica and Asia, was at the beginning of this cen- tury a most valuable article of trade. Ships used to be fitted out, particularly in Boston, for the purpose of buying these furs from the natives, carrying them to China, where the highest price could be procured, and investing the profits in silks and teas for the return voy- age. This trade has entirely ceased. Eared seals, to which division of the family the sea lions and fur seals belong, are found on the coast of South America as far north as the Galapagos islands, the cold current of the coast of Peru proving thus congenial to them as far as the equator. The huge sea elephant, which formerly abounded on the S. coast of Chili and at Juan Fernandez, has been so much hunted for its oil that it has almost entirely disappeared from these parts; but it is still found in the islands bordering on the Antarctic circle. The northern fur seal is now protected by law. The dugong is found on the N. coast of Australia; an allied animal, Steller's sea cow, formerly inhabited the westernmost Aleu- tian islands, but is now entirely extinct. The whale fishery is still extensively pursued in the Pacific, though the profits are diminishing every year. The right whale of the north is not found "on the American coast further south than Vancouver island, but on the Asiatic side it reaches the south of Japan ; the sea of Okhotsk is a favorite resort of the whalers in pursuit of it. Another species is found S. of the tropic of Capricorn. In the warmer parts of the ocean it is replaced by humpback and other whales of the finner family, which are taken in considerable numbers on the coast of California. Sperm whales formerly abound- ed in the tropical regions, certain parts being more frequented than others. They are said by Maury to cross into the Atlantic around