158 GEOLOGY OF QUEENSLAND COAST, 



Orpheus Island, also composed of granite and quartz porphyry, 

 crossed with basalt dykes, contains on its sheltered side an 

 extensive flat some 12 feet above H.W.M., and composed of 

 black coral fragments; some as much as three feet in diameter. 



Fantome Island, also of granite and quartz porphyry, possesses 

 two flats — one on the windward, the other on the leeward of the 

 island. The more important one lies between two neighbouring 

 o-ranite hills. The seaward edge consists of a long sloping white 

 beach, skirting a fringing reef, which is exposed in great measure 

 during low tides. Beyond the present line of beach another rises 

 in similar form to a height of 12 to 15 feet above spring tides, 

 forming a wide and distinct terrace as much as five chains wide 

 in places. 



Laroe fragments of " beach rock '' exist on this upper l^each 

 apparently in situ, the pieces having a gentle slope seawards. A 

 forest growth has seized upon this higher beach, and almost 

 concealed it from view. 



A similar though smaller flat occurs on the leeward side. In 

 the cases of Orpheus and Fantome beaches the arms of the sea in 

 a couple of instances are less than half-a-mile in width in the 

 locality, and in these waves could not have such play as on exjDosed 

 ocean beaches. 



Curious umbrella-like coral growths occur in Juno Bay, Fantome 

 Island. The accompanying diagram is a sketch section of two of 

 these growths near one of our anchorages (Fig. 5). 



These interesting growths rise from as much as 30 and 40 feet 

 depth of water, and form shelters for fish. It is very probable 

 that in time to come some of the upjDer portions may coalesce by 

 fusion of the growing walls, leaving a species of cavern below.* 



Curaroa Island is small and conical in shape, comjDOsed of 

 granite and porphyry. It is 920 feet in height. On its western 

 side a flat of some 50 acres exists. Mr. G. Butler, of Town8^ ille, 

 states that this flat is composed almost entirely of large black 

 coral fragments, at least 12 feet above high water mark. 



* Sawyer and Andrews, " Caves of Fiji." Proc. Linn. Soe. N.S. W. 1901 

 xxvi., Pt. 1, pp. 91-106. 



