12 A NATURALIST IN THE PACIFIC CHAP. 



the west coast of the Sesaleka promontory did upraised reefs come 

 under my observation ; but my acquaintance with the last locality 

 is very scanty. The emergence of the Sesaleka promontory is 

 however indicated by the occurrence inland at heights of at least 

 700 feet of palagonitic tuffs, occasionally containing foraminifera. 



With the long tract of coast between Naithombothombo Point 

 and Solevu Bay, I am fairly well acquainted. However, with the 

 doubtful exception of Lekumbi Point, no elevated reef-formations 

 were observed. Evidence of an emergence of a few feet, and of a 

 very extensive seaward advance of the land-surface in recent times, 

 is afforded by a curious bed of marine shells exposed in the banks 

 of the Mbua River, nearly two miles inland and in the vicinity of 

 the Wesleyan Mission station. This is described on page 58. The 

 submergence at some period of the watershed between the Mbua 

 and Lekutu districts is indicated by the presence of microscopic 

 foraminifera in the hyalomelan tuffs that are exposed in the 

 dividing ridge. 



Along the whole coast between the mouth of the Mbua River 

 and Solevu Bay, there are but few if any traces of upheaval. Even 

 volcanic tuffs are of rare occurrence, and there is only the case 

 of the formation of Lekumbi Point to be here referred to. This 

 singular low cape is described on page 60. Here it is sufficient 

 to remark that it is monopolised by the mangroves except at the 

 outer part where the swampy ground passes into the dry sandy 

 soil of a reef-islet, occupied by the usual littoral vegetation, and 

 raised only a foot or two above the high- water level. It exhibits on 

 the beach the bedded sand-rock so often found on coral islets, but 

 this in itself is no evidence of emergence. 



Neither on the shores of Wainunu Bay nor in the Kumbulau 

 peninsula were upraised reefs observed, although the presence in 

 places of submarine tuffs inland and near the coast affords evidence 

 of elevation. The same remark applies to the coasts of Savu-savu 

 Bay. 



I have little doubt that the absence of elevated reefs on the 

 coasts of by far the greater part of the island is the result* largely 

 of denudation. In this case we have to explain why an island in 

 a region of coral reefs exhibits on the surface of its interior sub- 

 marine tuffs and clays in most localities, whilst uplifted reefs are 

 very rarely to be found at the coast or in fact anywhere. This 

 ( view receives support from the existence of traces of old elevated 

 } reefs in different parts of the island. These traces are afforded by 

 ^the occurrence on the surface in different localities of silicified 



