322 Corals and Coral-islands. [Sess. 



Great masses of coral abound in these tropical seas, but 

 islands of the atoll type are not common in the New Hebrides. 

 The fringing reef, from the shore seawards and terminating in 

 deep water, is common to all the group. On some islands, 

 such as Aneityum, a small barrier reef exists on the south- 

 west and north-east sides, whereas on the weather side, where 

 the south-east trade-winds blow, the coast is bold, with the 

 mountain ridges terminating in deep water. These barrier 

 reefs are from one to two miles from the shore or inner reef, 

 and the intervening space makes an excellent and safe fishing- 

 ground for the natives. Owing to subterranean activity, there 

 is abundant evidence of both elevation and depression. On 

 the island of Tanna there was a great earthquake on the 10 th 

 January 1878, which caused a surge of the water at Port 

 Resolution to rise forty feet, and to sweep everything before 

 it, destroying all the canoes of the natives. Two minutes after 

 the earthquake a rise of the land took place on the whole 

 west side of the harbour, to the extent of about twenty feet. 

 This narrowed considerably the effective anchorage of the 

 harbour, and a lost anchor came into view where a ship had 

 ridden safely some years previously. About a month after- 

 wards another earthquake caused a further elevation, so that 

 rocks which were formerly covered with seven or eight fathoms 

 of water are now above high-water mark. On Aniwa, and 

 especially on Futuna, there are distinct evidences of successive 

 upheavals, solid coral rocks being seen at a considerable height 

 in the mountain-side. 



The marvellous beauty of the growing coral when under 

 water must be seen to be understood. "When, from a canoe 

 or rowing-boat, one looks through the clear blue water upon 

 patches of brain coral, branching coral, and other corals of 

 every description, it seems a fairy castle in the depths of the 

 sea. The branching coral, with delicately mauve- tipped points, 

 is like a vast array of stag's antlers. On the deep caverns 

 among the coral masses may be seen multitudes of bright- 

 hued fishes, some blue, others red, yellow, and grey, striped 

 and spotted, and of all curious shapes. Lurking in the nooks 

 and corners may be seen the cowrie, the turbo, or the large 

 edible clam, or, it may be, the sea-urchin with its blunt red 



