44 



"compact basalt obsidian" (basalt glass) from TCilauea, in 

 the Sandwich Islands*. 



Victorian Obsidian Buttons. 

 Specimen No. 21. 



Sp. Gr. 2'47. 



} 



Total 



9965 ... 



Under the circumstances which we have detailed, how these 

 bombs came to be where they are now found is a perplexing 

 question, and one which has caused varied speculation. Prof. 

 Krause approves of the suggestion that the aborigines may- 

 have used them as articles of barter, and thus distributed 

 them broadcast over the Australian continent. This is not in 

 accord with what is known of the habits of the native tribes. 

 Mr. Brown states the problem, but leaves it in statu quo, 

 remarking that their presence is most difficult to account for. 

 Mr. Verbeek has lately offered a solution in his paper read 

 before the Royal Academy of Sciences, Amsterdam, March 

 27, 1897, on the Geology of Bangka and Billiton. Seeing 

 that the nearest volcanoes are too distant, and over there, as 

 is well known, have emitted rocks of a different chemical 

 composition, he is led to seek an extra-terrestrial origin for 

 these buttons. Assuming the surface of the moon to consist 

 largely of acidic rocks, he believes these objects to have had 

 their source in lunar volcanoes. 



That they are volcanic products is unquestionable; conse- 

 quently it is probable that their spheroidal or discoid form 

 has resulted from masses of fluid lava being thrown up to a 

 great height from the throat of a volcano, separating into 

 independent drops — rotating in the air, and thus acquiring 

 uniform grooves, which remained impressed upon them after 



* Petrography of the Sandwich Islands : E. S. Dana. 



