﻿Vol. 66.'] THE VOLCANO OF MATAVANIJ IN SAVAII. 623- 



whose grandfather had talked to him about the event, but could 

 not himself remember it. The lava-fields of this eruption are 

 more extensive and more rugged in character than those of the 

 present eruption, and like them they reach the sea. 



Prom a crater about 2 miles north-east of, and probably parasitie 

 on, the volcano of Mauga Afi, and 4 miles south-south-east of Aopo, 

 a small eruption took place in 1902. An indistinct crater was 

 formed, and also a lava-stream nearly half a mile wide and 2 miles 

 long. The lava is of the scoriaceous or ' aa ' type. This eruption 

 was accompanied by severe earthquakes, which was not the case- 

 in that of 1905. 



More to the east is a large crater with a crater-lake, the name 

 of which, Mauga Lapaine or Pule, is suggestive of Montagne Pelee 

 in Martinique, and Pele the goddess of the Hawaiian volcanoes. 

 From it most of the flows near Papalaulelei (smooth lava), at the 

 east of the island, have proceeded ; while a little to the north of it 

 and at a lower elevation, say 2000 feet above the sea, is the new 

 cone of 1905, from which the eruption of that date took place and 

 still continues. 



I understand that, before the eruption, the place where the 

 crater now is was a sort of elevated plain surrounded by mountains.. 

 It was almost level, and in fact a favourite camping-place for 

 pig-stickers. It was near the now deserted plantation of Olonono. 

 The name Matavanu is a native one, and was, I understand, first 

 applied to the volcano by Herr von Bulow, a resident in the island 

 and a cousin of the former German Chancellor. Prom near this place 

 a deep and tortuous vailey extended down to the sea, a distance of 

 10 or 11 miles, though that measured in a direct line to the sea at 

 Matautu is only about 7 miles. The lower part of the valley was 

 very fertile, and along the coast at, and on each side of, its mouth 

 were prosperous villages. This part is now overwhelmed by the lava. 



The western portion of the coast in question was protected 

 by coral-reefs, and on it were situated the villages of Saleaula, 

 Salago, and Toapaipai, and this district was called Le Ala Tele- 

 Judging by the coast farther west about Matautu, these villages 

 had been built on a bank chiefly formed of coral-sand raised 

 not many feet above sea-level, and often with a swamp behind 

 them. Parther to the east of Toapaipai came a stretch of iron- 

 bound coast — that is, coast formed of old lava not protected by 

 a coral-reef; a promontory here was called Asuisui, and this is near 

 the point where the lava flows into the sea (1909). Parther east 

 again was another region of coast protected by reef, and on it were 

 situated the villages of Malaeola and Sataputu. A good buggy- 

 road extended the whole way at varying distances from the coast, 

 and led to the villages of Samalaeulu and Patamea, which still exist. 

 There were also in the vicinity of the crater valleys leading in the 

 direction of Safotu, the upper parts of which are now filled up. 



The eruption began on August 4th, 1905. At first the ejecta 

 were mostly solid, and the space covered was not large ; but from 



