308 COMPENDIUM OF GEOGRAPHY AND TRAVEL 



still carried on at Ternate, Amboina, and Banda. All 

 the islands are in the possession of Holland, but the two 

 largest, Gilolo — or Halmahera — and Ceram, are as yet 

 comparatively little known. 



2. Geology and Natural History. 



The great volcanic belt passes through the whole 

 length of the Moluccas, and gives them their distinctive 

 character, yet several of the islands are entirely without 

 volcanoes, either active or extinct, and some appear to be 

 wholly non-volcanic in structure. Beginning with Banda 

 on the south, the line of volcanic action passes through 

 Amboina to Buru, where a volcano is said to exist in the 

 western part ; it then turns northward through Batjan, 

 where there are boiling springs, to the Ime of active 

 volcanoes running from Makian to the northern extremity 

 of Gilolo, where are several volcanic peaks. In the 

 vicinity of the volcanic districts there are usually abun- 

 dant signs of upheaval, in the form of raised coral reefs 

 or masses of coral limestone far inland. At the extreme 

 north, the island of Morti is coralline and volcanic, but 

 has no volcano. The centre and most of the southern 

 peninsula of Gilolo is composed largely of coral rock. 

 At Amboina we find a base of crystalhne rocks, with 

 abundance of coralline limestone, forming hills of con- 

 siderable elevation and very rugged, the hollows being 

 filled with red clayey earth, probably decomposed volcanic 

 ashes. Farther east, the small islands of Goram, Mano- 

 wolko, and Matabello consist wholly of coral reefs raised 

 to a considerable height, while Great Ke Island is also 

 very largely composed of the same rock. The large 

 island of Ceram, however, appears to offer a contrast to 

 the rest of the Moluccas. No volcanoes are known in it, 



