196 Transactio7is. — Geology. 



the Himalayas, which is only 28,170 ft. Am I therefare 

 justified in slightly doubting this " sunken continent " theory, 

 and in thinking that our equatorial belt and polar depressions 

 must have been fairly fixed in their present positions at the 

 original cooling of the planet, and, from the volcanic phe- 

 nomena in the Pacific, that our views of geological science 

 must be modified. 



I would point out the great lengths and breadths of the 

 volcanic lines I have been speaking of. The islands forming 

 the Wallis Group show the 200 ft. upward or outward thrust 

 equally with the Tongau islands. These small islands do not 

 show any lines of fracture on the land, but rather a distinct 

 outward thrust. It appears as if the earth's crust uprose in 

 this special geographical area in prehistoric times some 200 ft. 

 to 250 ft. in one gentle movement, since which time the islands 

 have remained about stationary, the ocean weaves, however, 

 washing them slowly away. Their flat tops or sharp peaks 

 to me show every evidence of their former submergence. 

 Nevertheless, each insular spot may only be a local upheaval, 

 like the Sandwich Island volcanoes. But I am endeavouring 

 to prove that there has been upheaval, and not all subsidence, 

 in the Southern Pacific (the present accepted belief). It looks 

 as if there has been a tilting, the islands along the 20th 

 parallel of south latitude rising, and those at the equator and 

 to the north of it sinking. Then, a crumpling is evidently 

 taking place between Tahiti and South America, the Andes 

 rising slightly and the ocean-bed sinking slightly, the Pau- 

 motus being proof of the upheaval being all old coral. Of 

 course, I do not doubt a local slickeuside action at any one 

 spot, such as occurred at the Hanmer Plains, in New Zea- 

 land, or at Tacoma quite lately, on the North Pacific coast 

 of America, when 600 ft. of docks belonging to the Northern 

 Pacific Eailway Company disappeared into the bay. The 

 local subsidences are common in all volcanic regions, and 

 easily understood. But what I am now pointing out are the 

 evidences of a former bulging-out of the earth's crust some 

 200 ft. to 250 ft. in this particular ocean-area. Nor do I 

 think that any particular harm at the time was done by 

 such a displacement of the water. The tidal wave formed 

 by the movement would have been very serious certainly, 

 and injurious to any native peoples then inhabiting the shores 

 of the ocean near this area, but I doubt whether the peoples 

 surrounding the Indian or Atlantic Oceans would have been 

 much affected by it. 



Mr. J. P. Russell, of Wangaimoana, Palliser Bay, New 

 Zealand, pointed me out the spot where an anvil of his had 

 been carried up by the tidal wave (caused by the earthquake 

 here iu 1854) some 30 ft. above high-water mark. I dare say 



