Funafuti Expedition Field Notes

Swallow 698 Feet Hen 

In a letter to the Chancellor, dated 22 February 1897, Professor of Geology, Professor Tannatt William Edgeworth (TWE) David requested a leave of absence to undertake a scientific expedition to Funafuti, a coral atoll located in Tuvalu (known at the time as the Gilbert and Ellise Islands). [Ref 1]. Professor David wrote, "For some fifty years past it has been the earnest wish of men of Science, and notably of Darwin, to gain definite knowledge as to the true mode of origin of coral reefs by means of putting down a bore in a typical coral atoll, and thus securing cores of the coral rock, from the surface down to depths of 500 or 600 feet. A careful examination of these cores in scientific laboratories would subsequently reveal the bore structure and mode of origin of atolls". [Ref 2]. Professor David’s voyage followed a failed expedition organised by the Royal Society of London and led by the British geologist, William Johnston Sollas the year before. [Ref 3].

The small expedition party, comprised of Professor David, his wife Cora, and a handful of drill men and foremen, arrived in Funafuti on 19 June 1897. The expedition was plagued with problems from the very first day of drilling with the initial rock on the reef platform being, "…so tough that the drill was running for several hours without boring more than an inch or so". After breaking through the tough layer of rock, the party was then faced with two serious mechanical issues - a dangerous failed attempt to set up a boring drill in the deepest part of the lagoon, and a broken drill part that took multiple days to recover from deep inside the borehole, which nearly forced the party to abandon their site to begin drilling in a new location.

In a diary penned following his return to Sydney, Professor David recalled, "The outlook was none too hopeful. It was nearly a month since we landed: we had bored only 118 feet, had had two serious accidents, and were reduced now to our last set of lining pipes; we knew if anything happened to them like that which had happened to the 5 inch pipes the boring would be a failure. The foreman of the drill, Hall, was becoming seriously ill, and we feared his leg would mortify, while one of the foreman and one of the drill men were also suffering, though less severely, from ulcerated legs". The expedition was saved, however, when a, "…deus ex machina arrived on July 18th in the person of Dr Corney in the Government Steamer 'Clyde' from Fiji". With him, Dr Corney brought mail from Sydney, fruit, "…cash forwarded by Mr Pittman from Sydney", and most importantly, "…a good supply of medicines".

With the party’s spirits improved, the drilling continued, albeit with further delays when various parts of the boring drill required fixing. "At last, however, so serious a break occurred in the crown gearing wheel that the artificer considered that it was impossible to repair it without very considerable delay. We were therefore much surprised on our return to the drill camp a few hours later to find that the drill was again in full work. The explanation was a [sic – as] follows; One of the natives named Tili on seeing the artificer commencing to repair the broken wheel exclaimed that he had got one just like that himself, and presently produced a wheel the facsimile of the broken one, with the exception that it was not broken but only somewhat worn, which he had just dug up from the roots of one of his cocoanut palms. He had placed it there so that the iron might act as a fertiliser for his palm. The explanation also as to the mystery as to how he came to be possessed of the wheel was easily given. On the occasion of Professor Sollas’ expedition in 1896, amongst the very few articles left behind was a bevel gearing wheel the counterpart of the one we had broken…This piece of good fortune enabled us to continue the boring without serious delay; as while one gearing wheel was in use, the duplicate not in use was being repaired".

On 5 September 1897, the London Missionary Society’s steam yacht ‘John Williams' arrived in Funafuti to transport Professor David and his party back to Sydney so Professor David could resume his University duties. [Ref 4]. Despite the numerous, and often serious, issues the party faced, the expedition was ultimately a success as, "The cores recovered supported Darwin’s theory that the coral atolls had been built upon a sinking platform". [Ref 5]. Professor David used these cablegram codes during his time in Funafuti to send word of the expedition’s findings. Written in pencil below the codes is his cablegram, reading, "swallow 698 feet hen. boilers failed. partridge returned Sydney finis. (End) David". [Ref 6].

This item is part of the University Archives' 70 Years, 70 Stories series, created to celebrate our 70th birthday on 3 May 2024. To discover more stories, explore the 70 Years, 70 Stories collection.

70 Stories, 70 Years: Page 2 (PDF).

Ref 1: David, Tannatt William Edgeworth (TWE), [PER-00000009]. University of Sydney Archives.

Ref 2: Draft Correspondence to University Staff Regarding Funafuti Expedition (02/02/1897 to 26/04/1897), [REF-00090005]. University of Sydney Archives.

Ref 3: David, ME. 1937. Professor David: The Life of Sir Edgeworth David, p. 65. Edward Arnold & Co. London.

Ref 4: Funafuti Loose Diary Extracts (No Date), [REF-00090006]. University of Sydney Archives.

Ref 5: Branagan, FD & Holland, G. 1985. Ever Reaping Something New: A Science Centenary, p. 129. University of Sydney: Science Centenary Committee 1985.

Ref 6: Funafuti Expedition Field Notes (1897 to 20/12/1900), [REF-00090004]. University of Sydney Archives.