ANDREWS: LIMESTONES OF THE FIJI ISLANDS. De 
active volcanism. ‘This dome of lava? burst through the old cliff ring 
and carried the broken fragments up, subsequently, on the top of a 
rising lava. 
Vatu Leile (Plates 28-31). — This interesting island differs materi- 
ally in many ways from the other Fiji islands. Topographically, it 
resembles the Vavau group, while lithologically it shows affinities with 
the Lau Islands.?, The eastern coast is flat (Plate 29), rising, like the 
northern shore of Tonga, but a couple of feet out of the reach of the high 
tides. As at Vavau, a deep deposit of soil covers the rocky base, and 
prevents geologizing to any extent. Through this flat long tongues of 
basalt have been protruded, reaching into the lagoon. On the western 
side are magnificent examples of former elevations. On a cliff face 100 
feet in height (Plates 30, 31), are no less than four well-preserved lines 
of beach erosion. These, with the modern one, constitute a marked fea- 
ture in the landscape. They are, in cross section, like a quadrant of an 
ellipse with the longer semi-axis held horizontally. The most pronounced 
is that immediately above the modern line of beach erosion, and persisting 
for so many miles of such a height and flatness of floor as to have earned 
from the natives the name of “The Great Walk.” The floor is 6 feet 
above high-water mark. It is 6 or 7 feet from floor to roof, and is eaten 
back into the cliff some 10 feet. The second is 14 feet, and the third 
and fourth are respectively 35 and 45 feet above the same datum line 
(high-water mark). It may be remarked, in passing, that a line of beach 
erosion corresponds to a terrace on the opposite side of the island. But 
it must not be forgotten that these evidences of erosion do not stretch 
as geometrical lines throughout the length of the western cliffs. Only 
in one favored spot can the four be seen at once. On the main 
cliff the third and fourth lines are very faint, while the second is 
invisible. 
Corresponding to “The Great Walk” (Plate 31) is an upraised reef 
spreading out from the cliffs, which at this spot have retreated slightly 
inland. The reef is bounded to the rear by a cliff 100 feet high and by 
the upper part of “The Great Walk.” This flat is about 6 feet above 
the tides. So recent is the uplift that hundreds of loose corals lie 
over the platform. The platform itself consists of reef-débris rock, as 
hard and dense as any Lan limestone, while here and there scattered 
coral are stuck in it like stray pins in a cushion. 
By walking behind the sea-cliff, another set of rocks about 50 yards 
1 See A. Agassiz, /. c., Plate 78. 
2 A, Agassiz, J. c., Plate 100. 
