460 PROCEEDINGS OF SECTION RE. 
W. Long. It consists of three separate groups, Tonga, 
Haabai, and Vavau, with the outlying islands of Niua 
Foou and Niua Tobutabu. This group was first dis- 
covered by Tasman in 1643. The large island of Tonga- 
tabu is a low island of coral formation, and is also the 
whole of the Haabai Group. The island of Eua is about 
1200 feet in height, and is also of coral formation. This 
island affords one of the most conclusive proofs of up- 
heaval, as it is stated on the authority of the officers of 
H.M.S. Egeria (who were employed in the survey of the 
group) that an extensive dyke of basalt is found inland, 
underlying the coral formation. 
The northern group of Vavau is also principally coral, 
but there are several outlying islands on which are active 
voleanoes, and Tofua, Late, Fonualei, and Niua Foou have 
all been in eruption in recent years. In 1846 Fonualei 
was laid waste by a terrific eruption, during which 
_ immense showers of ashes and pumice were ejected. 
Captain Samson, in command of an American whaler, 
sailed through a cloud of ashes, rolling over like great 
volumes of smoke, for about 40 miles—and Captain Cash, 
of the ship Massachusetts, had the same experience 60 
miles to the eastward of Captain Samson’s position. On 
24th June,1853, a dreadful eruption took place in Niua 
Foou Island, when the earth was rent open in the very 
centre of a native village, and 25 people were consumed 
in the burning gulf, with all their houses and church, 
Ten miles of country were covered by the streams of lava 
to a depth of from 8 to 15 feet, the main stream being 
three miles in width. Another eruption took place in 1867, 
and a third in 1886. The first two were characterised by 
an outflow of lava, but in the last one there were only ashes 
and fire. I visited the island in 1889. There is a lake 
on the top, about 3 miles long by 14 broad, in a deep 
depression in the centre of the island. The land surround- 
ing it is steep, too, in most places, with bold headlands 
extending some distance into the lake, with well-wooded 
sides in many parts. On the south and east sides the 
shores are not so steep as on the north. There are three 
small islands in the lake, on one of which fresh water is 
obtainable. At the place where we first saw the lake, 
near Mataaho, we were in full view of the large piece of 
land which was thrown up during the last eruption in the 
centre of the lake. This is of irregular shape, about 70 
feet high, and from two to three miles in circumference. 
Passing along the ridge, which gradually became steeper 
as we approached Agaha, we could see very distinctly the 
