SEISMOLOGICAL PHENOMENA. 209 



Forel scale. Earthquake and wave also felt on Aniwa and 

 Eromanga, and the tidal wave most severely felt at Lifu, on the 

 Loyalty Islands.* 



May 5th, ls75, 2 a.m. — Very heavy earthquake in Aneityum, 

 intensity IX., followed by frequent slighter shocks for three months 

 ("New Hebrides," Inglis, p. 194). 



January 10th, 1878.— Great earthquake at Port Resolution, 

 Tanna; " two minutes after the earthquake a rise of the land on the 

 whole west side of the harbor took place, to the extent of about 

 twenty (20) feet" (Steel's " New Hebrides," p. 189). 



February 14th, 1878. — Another earthquake "caused a further 

 elevation of the western side of about twelve (12) feet. Rocks 

 which were formerly covered with seven or eight fathoms of water 

 are now above high-watermark " f ibid J. 



Darwin alludes, it may be remembered, to the recent elevation 

 of these islands ("Coral Islands," chap, vi., p. 100, Minerva 

 Lib. Edn). 



In this connection a portion of a letter from Mr. Gray, dated 

 January 27th, 1890, contains a record of such a striking instance 

 of rapid and permanent elevation of land, that it deserves to be 

 quoted in its entirety : — " In the early part of 1888, while we were 

 absent, earthquakes were very severe and frequent. In April and 

 June upheavals took place in Port Resolution harbor, so that since 

 1868 (? 1878) there have been three upheavals at this same spot. 



The upheaval in 1868 was instantaneous and to the 



height of fully 20ft. The opposite side of the harbor was not 

 affected. It was followed by an enormous tidal wave, and a part 

 of the harbor where ships used to anchor was left high and dry. 

 On April 20th, 1888, a similar upheaval took place, but did not 

 extend so far along the coast. On examining this part I walked 

 over ground dryshod, where, about a year before, I sailed in a boat, 

 and at one time there was 30ft. of water. There is a perpendicular 

 cliff (cc, as shoAvn in diagram on page 210), then boulders for 31yds., 

 next 27yds. of sedimentary soil in layers at regular intervals, follow- 

 ing the same curve as the cliff, and with a slight dip seawards from 

 the cliff to line aa. This distance (cc to aa, 58yds.) shows the width 

 of land lifted out of the sea on April 20th; between the next two 

 lines (aa and bb) the upheaval of June 24th, 97yds. in width; 

 total width, 155yds. «♦) shows the spot where our mission vessel 

 lost an anchor more than ten years ago. It was brought up now. 

 • • • These upheavals occurred at the time earthquakes were 

 so violent on Tanna." 



* It miijht be interesting; to know whether the earthquake shock as well as the tidal wave 

 was observed at Lifu, or whether other earthquakes, originating:, as this probably did, 

 beneath the plateau on which the New Hebrides stand, have been felt in the Loyalty Islands 

 or m New Caledonia, which are separated from the New Hebrides by a narrow but deep 

 depression in the ocean bed. If so, the evidence would suggest a general movement of this 

 part of the Pacific bed, or at least a fairly deep extension of the centrum of the earthquakes. 

 We must wait, however, till we get returns from the Loyalty Islands and New Caledonia 

 (Sec. Seism. Comm.). 

 O 



