184 "ALBATROSS" TliOPICAL PACIFIC EXPEDITION. 



of the island. Towards the south point the lines of terraces pass into 

 gentle slopes, cutting wide gaps between the summits ; only here and there 

 could the position of terraces four to six be determined. As far as we 

 could see, the third, fourth, and fifth terraces were of the same height on 

 the two sides of the island. 



At the southern extremity of the island huge caverns have cut into the 

 vertical faces of the cliffs, forming here and there natural bridges. Innu- 

 merable pinnacles, cones, and spires stand out from the eroded surface, 

 leaving the slope between the third and the base of the fourth terrace covered 

 with red volcanic earth ; on this an entirely different type of vegetation 

 grows from that found on the east side of the island. We found here 

 bananas, pisonias, and aloes in great profusion, in marked contrast with the 

 hardwood vegetation of the east and west sides of the island. Lister has 

 described the remarkable chasm which exists at the southern e.xtremity 

 of Eua, formed by the falling in of the roof of adjoining caverns. 

 At the southern point the shore, or first terrace is somewhat higher than 

 in other parts of the island ; it is from eight to ten feet high. On 

 rounding the southern point of Eua, its little satellite, Kallau, is passed, 

 where four terraces are distinctly seen (PL 214). This little island is 

 covered with bananas and cocoanut trees, and on the northern extremity 

 there is a long sand beach fringed with beach rock. After passing the 

 southern point of Eua, there are no gaps cutting across the terraces. 

 The base of the second terrace is distinctly marked, pitted, and honey- 

 combed, and the edges of the first and second terraces are full of blow- 

 holes. The tradewinds, of course, are shut out from the west side of the 

 island by the high range of bluffs of the east coast. The terraces of the 

 west coast are more or less indistinct, and we generally find a gentle slope 

 from the top of the third terrace to a height which corresponds to that 

 of the fifth terrace on the east face. The Nullipore platform at the base of 

 the lower terraces forms huge rounded masses, a sort of wall ; on the outer 

 edge of the shore shelf, blow-holes exist similar to those described at the 

 southern and northern extremities. As we go north on the west side, sand 

 beaches are formed at the base of the lower terraces ; they consist mainly 

 of Nullipores ground up. The beaches become more extensive as we 



