6o8 Voyage of the Novara. 



ous special conditions, but most frequently on flat grounds 

 elevated about ten feet above high-water mark and more or 

 less distant from the beach — never upon the beach itself. 

 The occurrence of pumice in such vast quantities is of no 

 slight interest in a geological point of view. It must have 

 been some tremendous natural convulsions, an earthquake wave 

 of enormous lateral dimensions, wliicli threw up this pumice 

 stone, and deposited it throughout this entire region at the 

 same height above high- water mark. Since this phenomenon 

 occurred, the general level of the coasts and islands on which 

 this deposit of pumice is found, can scarcely have undergone 

 any considerable alteration, if one is not inclined to assume 

 for the entire region a perfectly equal elevation or depression. 



The whole party of Excursionists had wandered along the 

 reef to a spot at which we could embark once more, so as 

 to row over to the next island, Fdole, which, however, the 

 natives do not much frequent, except occasionally to collect 

 cocoa-nuts and pandanus fruits. But as one main object had 

 to be accomplished, namely, the supply of the ship with fresh 

 provisions, which were not found here, some of the party 

 went off to the principal settlement on the island of Sikayana, 

 to barter some goods they had brought, against as much 

 private supplies for themselves as could be conveniently con- 

 veyed to the boats and so taken on board. 



While the natives were paddling along in their elegant 

 canoes, escorting us as far as Sikayana, we offered a seat in 

 our boat to the only white man on the island, the English 



