460 THE CONTINENTAL ORIGIN OF FIJI, 



iii. — Geography.* 



The Fiji Group consists of about two hundred islands of 

 different sizes within the area bounded by 176° East longitude, 

 178° West longitude, 16° South latitude and 2V South latitude. 

 Of these islands two are very much larger than any of the others, 

 namel}^, Viti Levu and Yanua Levu. A great number of the 

 smaller islands, especially those of the Lau Group to the east, 

 have been geologically examined by Prof. Agassiz, Mr. Stanley 

 Gardiner, and Mr. E. C. Andrews. They have been proved to 

 consist of volcanic rocks (mainly andesite and andesite tuff), 

 raised coral reefs, or both. None of them contain crystalline 

 schists or plutonic rocks. 



Vanua Levu, the smaller of the two lar£;e islands, has a len«2:th 

 of about 120 miles and a breadth of 30. I was unable to visit 

 this island, but it is said to contain rocks similar to those 

 described in this paper. 



Viti Levu, the largest of the islands, has a length of 85 miles 

 and a maximum breadth of 60 miles. It is roughly elliptical in 

 shape, and has an area of about 4000 square miles. With the 

 exception of the delta of the Rewa River, the country is extremely 

 rugged, the highest points in the districts visited being Tama ni 

 Ivi 4555 feet, ]Mua ni Vatu 4000, and Korobasabasaga 3960. 



As might be expected from the great annual rainfall, the 

 river systems are extensive and important for so small an area. 

 The largest of these, the Rewa, together with ail its branches, 

 has a total length of over 200 miles. This drains the greater 

 part of the eastern half of the island. 



The Sigatoka is another large river in the western part of the 

 island. 



Between these is the Navua, a much less extensi^•e stream. 



* All names are spelt in the native fashion, as I have found from experi- 

 ence how difficult it is for an observer to follow-up information if names are 

 translated or spelt unusually. 



N.B. — The vowels have French sounds. Of the consonants h = )nh, c=th, 

 d = nd, g = ng (soft), q = ng (hard). 



