PROCEEDINGS OF SECTION E. 561 
other places similar hardened lava streams, like molten metal, 
crop up along the shore, or lie buried in the sand within the 
lagoon. 
The small island of Aporima, situated between Upolu and 
Savaii, is also an unmistakable crater. It rises precipitously from 
the sea on three sides, with a narrow chasm on the north side, 
forming the entrance to the island, very difficult of access, except 
in favourable weather. At one time Aporima was an impregnable 
fortress to the people of Manono—an adjacent island—and gave 
them preponderating influence in time of war ; even now it might 
be converted into a small Gibraltar. It possesses a pleasant 
spring of water, while Manono, the larger island, is destitute of 
fresh water. An ancient legend states that this spring formerly 
existed on Manono, but Mafuié, the god of earthquakes, being 
angry with the Manonoans, took it away from them, and trans- 
ferred it to Aporima. This may indicate an earthquake disturb- 
ance at some distant period. 
A Submarine Volcano.—On 12th September, 1866, the people of 
Tau and Olosenga, the eastern islands of Samoa, were alarmed by 
the appearance of a submarine volcano, which burst forth between 
the two islands. The Rev. Dr. Turner thus described the event 
in an article supplied to the Sydney Morning Herald :-—“On the 
7th of September, 1866, the natives of Tau and Olosenga were 
surprised by an unusual succession of earthquakes. There were 
three or four in the course of an hour. On the night of the 9th 
there were 39 shocks in all. The motion at first was but a slight 
tremulous agitation, but its continuance, and the addition of an 
unusual ‘subterranean groaning,’ as the natives called it, alarmed 
everyone. On the 12th, a little after noon, a commotion was 
observed in the deep blue sea, about two miles from Olosenga 
and three from Tau. It appeared like the surf breaking on a 
sunken rock. Some thought it might be a whale blowing, others 
that it was a great shoal of fish. This continued all day. By 
break of day on the 13th volcanic action was unmistakable. At 
first the eruptions were at intervals of about an hour. They 
went on increasing till the 15th, when they were fifty in an hour; 
and then for three days there was one continued succession of 
outbursts. The natives looked on in amazement at the great jets 
of mud and dense columns of other volcanic matter rising in 
terrific grandeur as high, it is said, as Matafao, a mountain of 
Tutuila. That would be 2000 feet or more. They then branched 
out into clouds of dust, which blackened the sky, and covered up 
Olosenga from the sight of the people on Tau. The roar of the 
eruptions and the collision and crash of the masses of rock, met 
in their downward course by others flying up, were fearful. 
Quantities of fused obsidian, too, threw off fragments, which 
shone and sparkled in the sunshine with indescribable 
beauty. No flame appeared. Only once or twice was 
*y 
