﻿72 J. R. Daki/ns — Sigh-level Terraces in Norway. 



advisable to round the island outside it, whilst he, with some of the 

 officers, went in the boats and visited the villages on the south and 

 west coasts. This was the last friendly reception that the late 

 Commodore had from the natives, for it was on the following day 

 that he received his death wound at Santa Cruz. 



It is fortunate that the Pearl was not piloted inside the " Barrier 

 Eeef," for the lagoon space was reported (on the return of the boats) 

 to be full of patches of growing coral, which rendered the passages 

 too intricate for a vessel of her size. You will gather from my 

 remarks, that I consider these sunken shoals to be a continuation of 

 the " Barrier Eeef." The following questions therefore arise : have 

 these shoals grown up since the survey in 1828 by Capt. Dumont 

 d'Urville ? or did they exist at that time, and were by some mis- 

 chance not discovered ? The survey, in other respects, appears to 

 be such a good one that I am loath to believe that the latter is 

 the case. 



Mr. Darwin, in his second edition, revised, of the "Structure 

 and Distribution of Coral Beefs," pp. 64, 167, and 216, mentions 

 this "Barrier Eeef," and that the level of the islands has been 

 affected by earthquakes ; also Prof. Dana, in his English edition of 

 " Corals and Coral Islands," p. 307, refers to the same thing. 



With respect to the coral patch off Dillon Head, had it existed at 

 the time of the Survey, it could not well have been overlooked, for 

 it was distinctly visible (with an occasional heavy break over it 

 during our stay) from the anchorage. Another reason for believing 

 that alterations have taken place in the harbour, is found in the names 

 that were given to the other two shoals, leading one to imagine that 

 they would be difficult to be made out, whereas they appear alwaj^s 

 to have a break upon them, and can be plainly seen ; the terms 

 "Deceitful" and " Treacherous " would scarcely have been applied to 

 these most apparent dangers had they in the year 1828 been in their 

 present state. 



On the west or lee side of Vanikoro Island there were several 

 large stones of coral rock, well above the water, lying on the "Barrier 

 Eeef," which were not shown upon the chart. 



Contrary to what one generally finds with respect to these reefs, 

 the highest part is to leeward and the sunken position to windward. 



Tapoua Island, which lies 20 miles N.W. from Vanikoro, has a 

 " Barrier Eeef," but Santa Cruz, which is 40 miles further to the 

 N.W., has not any; a fringing reef borders portions of the coast, 

 but it is not continuous. 



VIII. — High-Level Terraces in Norway. 



By J. R. Dakyns, Esq. ; 

 Of H. M. Geological Survey of England and "Wales. 



IN the summer of 1872 I visited Norway, and wrote the following 

 brief notice of certain high-level terraces immediately on my 

 return to England, but kept it back that I might first consult some 

 papers on Norwegian terraces that had appeared in the closing 

 numbers of " Scientific Opinion " ; these I was not able to meet 



