464 PROCEEDINGS OF SECTION E. 
New BRITAIN. 
This is now generally knownas the Bismarck Archipelago, 
and comprises the large islands of New Britain, New 
Ireland, Duke of York Group, and New Hanover, together 
with a number of smaller islands. 
They are of volcanic origin, and there are several active 
volcanoes on New Britain, the principal of which are the 
Mother and Daughters, in and near Blanche Bay, and the 
Father and Sons, near the Dupourtail Group, in which also 
there is a volcano. New Ireland appears to be outside 
the line of activity, and the central part of the island is 
composed of sedimentary rocks, in which the only speci- 
mens of true chalk which have been obtained south of the 
equator are found. This is manufactured by the natives 
into images, which at one time were held in great reverence 
by the natives. I can, fortunately, give from personal 
experience and observation some facts which will shew 
how some of these islands are formed, and which will also 
shew how rapid is the disintegration of the pumice and the 
growth of vegetation on a recently upheaved island. 
In the begining of Feb., 1878, I heard that one of the 
three volcanic mountains—Mother and Daughters—was 
in active eruption. These mountains are situate in 
Blanche Bay, on the Gazelle Peninsula. A few days 
later I started from Duke of York Island to visit the scene, 
and to assure myself of the safety of the teachers and their 
families under my charge. The whole channel was full of 
floating masses of pumice, and as we neared the New 
Britain shores our way was blocked by large fields of 
pumice, through which it was almost impossible to force 
the boat. We had great difficulty in landing some miles 
down the coast, and only succeeded by passing long ropes 
on shore, by means of which the natives hauled the boat 
through the floating pumice, which was at least three feet in 
thickness, and was composed of small and large pieces, some 
of them being as large as small barrels. We reached 
Malakuna, at the head of the bay, in the evening, having 
made a long detour inland on the windward side of the 
mountain. The next day—l16th Feb.—we left at daybreak 
for the scene. On our way down the bay we pulled close past 
the “Beehive Rocks,’’ which we saw were gradually sinking, 
as the houses, which were some feet above high water mark 
on my previous visit, were now quite flooded at high water. 
A little further down the bay I saw that the small rocks 
or island off Keravia, on the S.W. side of the bay, noticed 
