432 THE GEOLOGY OF THE NEW HEBRIDES, 



inconvenience. In the rainy season, however, the flow is reported 

 to much increase, and at the same time to rise considerably in 

 temperature. A quantity of white saline material is deposited 

 as an earthy encrustation in the vicinity, and studding the 

 shallow swamp are innumerable carcases of boiled land crabs 

 which have been unfortunate enough to fall in. Surrounding 

 the spring is a glade a couple of acres in extent devoid of trees 

 or scrub. Closely investing this grassy clearing, and contrasting 

 strongly with it, is a dense jungle of stunted vegetation.* 



Earthquakes are of regular and frequent occurrence, 

 often assuming a violent character. Most, undoubtedly proceed 

 from the local volcanoes which, when they increase in activity, 

 are in a constant state of tremor, punctuated at intervals by 

 severer shocks, felt at considerable distances. 



To give an idea of their frequency at such times, it is 

 interesting to note that, after the outbreak of Ambrym in 1894, 

 shocks were felt every ten minutes on board H.M.S. 'Dart' 

 anchored at Dip Point; later on as she steamed over to Malekula, 

 shocks continued to be felt at repeated intervals by those on 

 board, even when in the open sea; again, whilst at anchor at 

 Port Sandwich, thirty shocks were felt in a single night. 



At other times shocks are much less frequent, and several 

 weeks may go by without even a tremor. 



During our visit, amongst those experienced, two were of 

 special interest. One of these was a sharp shock felt at Tangoa 

 at 12.25 a.m. on July 29th, followed at 1.15 a.m. by a smaller 

 shock. These shocks were accompanied by much noise, and 

 several articles were thrown down from the cupboard shelves in 

 the Mission houses. 



The other of these two happened at 6.30 p.m. on August 28th, 

 and was experienced under novel conditions. We were out at 

 the time in a canoe on Erakor Lagoon, when the boat suddenly 

 received a shock accompanied by a sound just as if it had been 



* This feature recalls that reported by Lieut. Frederick as existing under 

 similar conditions in the vicinity of the hot ground on Tongoa. 



