Mr J.J.
Lister, F.R.S., who formed a larger biological and mineralogical
collection. Among the rocks then obtained and submitted to Sir John
Murray for examination there were detected specimens of nearly pure
phosphate of lime, a discovery which eventually led, in June 1888, to
the annexation of the island to the British crown. Soon afterwards a
small settlement was established in Flying Fish Cove by Mr G. Clunies
Ross, the owner of the Keeling Islands, which lie about 750 m. to the
westward. In 1891 Mr Ross and Sir John Murray were granted a lease, but
on the further discovery of phosphatic deposits they disposed of their
rights in 1897 to a company. In the same year a thorough scientific
exploration was made, at the cost of Sir John Murray, by Mr C.W.
Andrews, of the British Museum.

See C.W. Andrews, _A Monograph of Christmas Island (Indian Ocean)_,
(London, 1900).

CHRISTODORUS, of Coptos in Egypt, epic poet, flourished during the reign
of Anastasius I. (A.D. 491-518). According to Suidas, he was the author
of [Greek: Patria], accounts of the foundation of various cities;
[Greek: Audiaka], the mythical history of Lydia; [Greek: Isaurika], the
conquest of Isauria by Anastasius; three books of epigrams; and many
other works. In addition to two epigrams (_Anthol. Pal._ vii. 697, 698)
we possess a description of eighty statues of gods, heroes and famous
men and women in the gymnasium of Zeuxippus at Constantinople. This
[Greek: ekphrasis], consisting of 416 hexameters, forms the second book
of the Palatine Anthology. The writer's chief models are Homer and
Nonnus, whom he follows closely in the structure of his hexameters.
Opinions are divided as to the merits of the work. Some critics regard
it as of great importance for the history of art and a model of
description; others consider it valueless, alike from the historical,
mythological and archaeological points of view.

See F. Baumgarten, _De Christodoro poeta Thebano_ (1881), and his
article in Pauly-Wissowa's _Realencyclopaedie_, iii. 2 (1899); W.
Christ, _Geschichte der griechischen Litteratur_ (1898).

CHRISTOPHER, SAINT (_Christophorus, Christoferus_), a saint honoured in
the Roman Catholic (25th of July) and Orthodox Eastern (9th of May)
Churches, the patron of ferrymen. Nothing that is authentic is known
about him. He appears to have been originally a pagan and to have been
born in Syria. He was baptized by Babylas, bishop of Antioch;