PRESIDENT’S ADDRESS. 461 
two craters from which the large black hills of sand and 
ashes were ejected, which now occupy the place where but 
a few years ago there was deep blue water. The lake is 
very deep in many places. The craters are only a few feet 
above the level of the water. The next day I visited three 
old craters near the sea. One of them is quite close to 
the ocean; in fact, it seems to have broken out on the 
beach or in the sea. The other two are further inland, 
and are well defined craters, but broken away on the sea- 
ward side, and had some fair-sized casuarina trees growing 
on them. The volcanic ash is soon affected by the weather, 
and disintegrated, and in a short time fens and casuarina 
trees grow, and cover the black and desolate scene with a 
garment of verdure and beauty. There is an extensive 
lake in the crater on the top of the island, in which fresh 
promontories and hills are being continually formed by 
volcanic action. Late was also in violent eruption in 1854, 
and is still active. Submarine volcanoes have in recent 
years produced several new islands. On Thursday, 6th . 
August, 1857, the Captain of the John Wesley reported 
an island which has appeared above the the surface of the 
sea within the last few months, This was about 60 feet 
high, and emitted fire, smoke, and steam. On 19th August, 
of the same year, he also reported another islet, in the same 
locality which had also been recently upheaved. On 
27th August, he came upon what appeared to be a shoal 
water, five miles §8.8S.W. from the island which he dis- 
covered on 6th August. A boat was lowered to sound, 
but no bottom was found with forty fathoms. The 
discoloured water, he states, was evidently caused by the 
stream of lava which had flowed in this direction, as the 
discoloured water was continued from that point to the 
base of the new island. Both these islands have much 
increased in size since they originally appeared. A few 
years ago an island was thrown up near Tongatabu. This 
was partly washed away, but has again materially increased 
in size. These are instances which shew the cbanges 
which take place in these seas in the earth’s surface by 
volcanic action. 
Fist. 
Fiji has been so often described that I shall only give a 
very brief description here. The group consists of about 200 
islands and isléts, about 80 of which are inhabited. These 
lie between the parallels of 15° 30' S. Lat. and the 
meridians of 177° E. Long. and 178° W. Long. 
They were discovered by Tasman in 1643. Captain 
Cook only sighted one of the islands, Vatoa or Turtle 
