1898.] Funafuti, Rotuma and Fiji. 455 



Suva quarry but has fewer shells ; a distinct pebbly layer forms 

 its lower foot, and separates it from the soapstone, which is of a 

 much finer grain than either of its upper layers. The lava also 

 forms the greater part of a hill on the opposite side of the stream, 

 where it distinctly overlies the soapstone, and is as distinctly 

 overlain by it. 



The soapstone nowhere shows any great variations, whereas 

 the coral-rock in places by the Rewa consists mainly of corals and 

 sand ; I nowhere found it as a hard firm rock like that of a 

 growing reef, although it is much harder on its outer face, where 

 exposed to the weather. In some parts it consists of masses of 

 almost structureless, fine grained rock, which sometimes lie in 

 layers. Large and deep caves and small cavities are very common 

 in it 1 . The greatest thickness near Suva is about 80 feet, but by 

 the Rewa I found beds of at least 200 feet. I have no doubt 

 whatever that this coral-rock was formed in the same way as 

 coral reefs are now being formed ; its great variability I consider 

 to be due to the different positions with regard to exposure to the 

 ocean, in which its reefs were built up. 



Of the soapstone Brady examined specimens from the shore 

 road, from an elevation of 100 feet or more and from an inter- 

 mediate point at Suva. He found that they varied considerably 

 in their species of Foraminifera, specimens from the first and 

 second localities having only 36 species in common out of 92 

 obtained in all ; he also found the remains of a few Ostracoda, 

 but did not apparently obtain any bivalve Mollusca. Of the 

 Foraminifera, Brady points out that 87 species still live in the 

 neighbouring Pacific, the other 5 being very rare. Comparing 

 the species from this rock with lists from material, collected by 

 the Challenger Expedition, Brady remarks that " it is found to 

 include several forms, not recorded from depths of less than 129 

 fathoms, and certain others, of which the minimum depth is about 

 150 fathoms." He then concludes : — " Nevertheless judging from 

 its general facies the Rhizopod fauna is one that I should expect 

 to find in a deposit forming from 150 to 200 fathoms (rather more 

 than less) in the neighbourhood of any of the volcanic islands of 

 the Pacific." 



Should Brady be right there would be an almost incompre- 

 hensible series of elevations and subsidences required to form 

 such a hill as Kalamba, unless the coral- rock be also supposed 

 to have formed at depths of 150 to 200 fathoms. I do not assert 

 that this is impossible, but such evidence as there is points to its 

 being exceedingly unlikely, and, if so, there should certainly be 



1 Capt. Langdale, late E.N., informed me that up the Wai Mala branch of the 

 Rewa there is a large hill, formed entirely of this rock, which is pierced through by 

 several ramifyiug tunnels. 



