PRESIDENT’S ADDRESS. 463. 
three active voleanoes—Tanna in the south, and Lopevi 
and Ambrym in the north. That on Tanna is the largest. 
The group is distinctly volcanic, and there are many 
plain proofs of several upheavals, and, in some instances, 
the volcanic rocks are found cropping out of the upheaved 
coral. 
Tue SoLtomon IsLanps. 
This fine group of islands lies between 5° and 10° 5?! 
S. Lat. and 154° 30’ and 162° 28’ E. Long. It consists 
of a double row of islands, of which Santa Catalina is the 
most southerly and Bouka the one farthest north. The 
principal islands are Santa Catalina, Santa Anna, San 
Christoval, Gaudalcanar, Mala, Florida, Isabel, New 
Georgia, Choiseul and Shortlands, which are now all under 
British protectorate. Bougainville and Bouka are under 
German protectorate. The length of the group is nearly 
700 miles. Most of the islands are mountainous, and all 
are densely wooded. There is an active volcano on the 
island of Bougainville, and one on Savo has been in 
eruption within the memory of living men. Nearly all the 
islands in this group also shew distinct evidence of up- 
heaval. On Treasury Island, Dr. Guppy believes that 
there are clear proofs of a recent upheaval of at least 1500 
feet, whilst in many of the islands the volcanic rocks are 
geologically ancient, and afford indications of the insular 
condition having been preserved from remote ages. An 
extract from a paper contributed by me some years ago 
will give some idea of this fine group. “The appearance 
of the group on the charts gives little idea of the large 
number of islands and islets of which it is composed. A 
traveller coasting along the shores of San Christoval, then 
entering Marau Sound on Gaudalcanar, then coasting up 
the north side of that splendid island (leaving the large 
island of Mala and the Florida group to the right), passing 
through the Russell, New Georgia, Vella Lavella, Treasury, 
Shortlands and other groups, would pass by a large 
number of beautiful islands of ever-varying shape and 
size, and yet he would then have seen only a small part of 
the great Solomon Group. The extent and beauty of 
the islands in the Russéll, Maravo, and Rubiana lagoons 
can only be appreciated by those who in some small steamer 
or sailing vessel have traversed the deep, still, land-locked 
waterways which separate these lovely islands. There are 
few places which present to the eye so many attractions to 
the explorer or to the yachtsman as this little known but 
most beautiful group.” 
