AGASSIZ: FIJI ISLANDS AND CORAL REEFS. 13o 



of nearly 300 feet. At Fulanga (Plate 22) the elevated limestoxie 

 attains a thickness of 360 feet, at Kambara (Plate 22) it is about 

 200 feet thick, and at Wangava (Plate 22) it is perhaps over 300 

 feet ; these islands may be in part volcanic. Finally, at Vatu Leile, the 

 most westerly island we examined, the elevated reef forming the island 

 is fully 110 feet thick. 



All this plainl}' shows that the western and soutliei'u part of Yiti Levu, 

 as far south as Vatu Leile, and the whole length of the windward islands 

 of the Fiji group, from Xgele Levu on the north to Ongea on the south 

 (Plate 2), have been subject to an elevation of at least 800 feet ; and there 

 is abundant proof that the greater part of the thickness of the elevated 

 coralliferous limestone has been eroded so as to reduce it in certain 

 localities to the level of the sea, or in others to leave the bluffs and 

 islands and islets of limestone which we have traced at so many points. 



Unfortunately there are as yet but few soundings among the islands 

 of Fiji (Plate 2). There is a line extending from Xanuku Passage 

 to the Kandavu Passage, and a number of soundings to the north of 

 Wailangilala and towards Thikombia, which have developed the ex- 

 istence of an extensive plateau with a depth of between 300 and -100 

 fathoms, from which rise all the islands forming the northeastern ex- 

 tremity of Fiji (Plate 2). The soundings between Xgau and Viti Levu 

 (Plate 2) also indicate shallower water to the west of that island than 

 is found either east or south of it. The deep water extends northwesterly 

 in the passage, parallel with Kandavu. Deep water (1,200-1,700 fathoms) 

 is found in the triangle formed by ]\toala, Totoya, and Matuku (Plates 

 2, 16), showing the steep slope of Moala, from 1,200 fathoms at a distance 

 of six miles, and of Matuku of 1,400 fathoms at a distance of five miles. 



The deep channel passing through the centre of the Koro Sea (Plate 

 2) gradually deepens towards the south until it attains a maximum 

 depth of over 1,400 fathoms east of Xairai and Xgau, becoming shallower 

 towards Viti Levu (Plate 12). The water gradually deepens also in 

 the Kandavu Passage from over LlOO fajhoms north of Xorth Astrolabe 

 Pieef to over 1,900 fathoms southwest of Kandavu. The soundings to 

 the north of Xaitamba indicate a i-ido:e with somewhat over 500 fathoms 

 in depth connecting the plateaus on the two sides of Xanuku Passage 

 (Plates 2, 18). There are no soundings showing the depths between 

 the larger clusters composing the Lau or eastern group of Fiji. It 

 would add greatly to our knowledge of the connection of these groups to 

 have lines of soundings connecting the diflferent island clusters of Lau. 



All the evidence to be gathered in Fiji tends to prove that preceding 



