TRANSACTIONS OP THE SECTIONS. 183 



On the Samoan Archipelago. By Litton Forbes, M.D. 



On Akem and its People, West Africa. By Capt. J. S. Hat. 



On tJie Geological Distribution of Oceanic Deposits. By J. Murray. 



Tliese deposits were stated to be of tliree classes : — first, those which were found 

 all round the continents and islands existing over the world, without any exception, 

 but which varied according- to the places where they were found ; secondly, those 

 found at from 200 to 300 miles from the land, consisting of shell and lime deposits, 

 and covering most of the bed of the ocean ; thirdly, those existing at other depths, 

 and which were of siliceous character. Observations had shown that a curious 

 relation existed between the nature of the deposits and the depth of the water. 

 It was also pointed out that in the neighbourhood of volcanic islands, and in no 

 other places, were found large deposits of manganese, coating the shells and other 

 things brought up from the bottom. 



On the Islands of the Coral Sea. By Kerry Nichols. 



The Coral Sea embraces that portion of the Pacific Ocean extending from the 

 south of New Guinea, westward to the coast of Australia, southward to New Cale- 

 donia, and eastward to the New Hebrides. The New Hebrides' banks and Santa- 

 Cruz Islands, the author said, are an almost continuous chain of fertile volcanic 

 islands, extending for a distance of 700 miles, between the parallels of 9° 45' and 

 20° IG' south latitude, and the meridians of 1G5° 40' and 170° 33' east longitude. 

 Espiritu Santo, the largest island of the archipelago, was seventy-five miles long 

 and forty miles broad. The geological formation of the islands was composed of 

 volcanic and sedinientar}- rocks. I'he chain of primary volcanic upheaval might be 

 traced running in a general course longitudinally through the islaifds always in 

 their longest direction, the-axis of eruption being marked by active and quiescent 

 volcanoes. On the north end of the island of Vanu Lava there were extensive 

 springs of boiling water, solfataras, and fumaroles. The hot springs were of two 

 kinds : — some were permanent fountains where water was in a constant state of 

 ebullition, others were only intermittent, and the water became heated at certain 

 intervals, when it varied from a tepid degree of heat to boiling-point. The phy- 

 sical features of the islands were remarkably bold, and betokened at first sight their 

 volcanic origin. The plains, tablelands, and valleys of the mountain region were, 

 many of them, of considerable extent. 



On a Journey across Finland, from Ellenhorg to Archangel via Kemi. 

 By Eev. J. Paterson. 



On Travels in Tunis in the Footsteps of Bruce. 

 By Col. E. L. Platfair, II.M. Consul -General in Algeria. 



The paper gave a narrative of the author's observations made in the course 

 of a journey in Tunis over places visited by Bruce about 1763. There had been 

 recently put into Col. Playfair's hand for publication a large number of Bruce'a 

 sketches, of which his I'arbary sketches ware, he said, the most interesting, form- 

 ing about 120 sheets of drawings, completely illustrating the archceology of North 

 Africa. In these circumstances, the author had determined to follow Bruce in 

 his journey, and to satisfy himself as to the present condition of those interesting 

 ruins, which were almost unlmown to the modern traveller. 



