Vegetation History The early accounts of the vegetation of Christmas Island are meager. Apparently the Cocos were present on the island at the time of discovery in 1777. (Cook, 1784). A few cocoa-nut trees were seen in two or three places; but, in general, the land had a very barren appearance. "Cook investigated the lagoon and landed on what may have been the present day Motu Upua: "We walked, or rather waded, through the water, to an island; where finding nothing but a few birds, -- I left it, and proceeded to the land that bounds the sea to the North-West, --. I found this land to be even more barren than the island I had been upon; --". In commenting on two lost seamen Cook remarks on the southeast portion: "--nor was there anything to obstruct their view; for the country was a flat, with a few shrubs scattered upon it; --". Cook also mentions planting melon seeds, yams and coconuts on Cook Island. Further mention is made of a few coconut trees "the number of which did not exceed thirty", other trees (possibly Tournefortia or Sceavola), Sida, "a sort of purslane" (probably Portulaca lutea), "a mesembryanthemum" (undoubtedly Sesuvium) and two species of grasses (Lepturus and Eragrostis?). Since evidence of Polynesian visits and possibly short term habitation of the island has been gathered (Emory, 1934) it is possible to assume that even the earliest Cocos groves were planted by man. The island was visited by Bennett (1840) who gives the following: "The land is extremely low, and composed of sand with only a few bushes and small trees." -On the western parts there are some scattering groups of coconut trees; the whole number of trees may be about 2,000. -On the west point, or rather on the point which forms the southern entrance to the lagoon, there is a group of these trees having the names of several whale ships carved upon them. -I wish to state, that during my dentention, I had cocoanuts brought up from the west and planted on the south side, due south of the spot where we were wrecked." He goes on to say that these had sprouted and were on the east side and hoped that they would be a warning to ships making the SE end of the island. The extension of the Cocos groves proceeded under the direction of Fr. Emmanuel Rougier whose account (1914) gives the first modern account of both the Cocos operations and the native vegetation: Due to the accuracy of the account we reproduce it here: "The flora of Christmas Island is very poor owing to its position. Only the long floating seeds could obtain a footing or chance to grow on the Island and they had to be sand plants. Probably centuries passed before any seed was washed on shore, except a few grass seeds that might have been imported by birds, not as food (all birds/ living there on fish), but in their feathers. This accounts for the long and high hills all around the Islands, fully 20 to 30 feet higher than Fanning. Today the grass and shrub have taken possession of the soil and hills have ceased to increase or to move about. The grasses are: 1º A hgh tough grass, also found on Fanning, and no good for cattle or sheep (probably Digitaria); 2º Paragrass, tender and green, most precious grass for cattle (Lepturus); it grows on sand hills where the sand is coarse, especially the east end of Christmas. Both creep on the soil. Another grass is called by me Honey Grass, as the flower smells of honey, a very fragrant odor;