part 11 PROCEED I xas of the geological societv. xi 



of the great terraces, and their giant stone figures, and discussed 

 theii' leading chamcteristics. A submarine freshwater spring, near 

 the great image-terrace of Tongariki, and opposite certain typical 

 lava-formed caves, gave occasion to the Lecturer to explain how- 

 had arisen tlie longstanding, and world-wide spread rejDort, that 

 man and beast on Easter Island habitually drink sea-water, in the 

 place of fresh. 



The old volcano of Rano Raraku, the centre of the former 

 religious life of the island, was then described. A sei'ies of 

 panoramic pictures, preceded by an accurate sm'vey made by 

 Lieut. R. D. Ritchie. R.N., the Cartographer of the Expedition, 

 showed a crater-lake surrounded by a rim of tuff which rises to a 

 height of 540 feet above the surrounding plain. The plain is 

 undulating in surface, formed superficially of hard, dense, but 

 nevertheless vesicular, lava, and it rests on compact non -columnar 

 basalt. One section of this crater-wall, some 600 yards long, 

 on both its interior and exterior aspects, was seen to be quarried 

 right up to the highest point. On the mountain-face, both inside 

 and out, large numbers of statues, in every state of completion, 

 were to be seen. The largest of these measured 68 feet in length. 

 Some of those excavated by the Expedition exhibited fine details, 

 such as the finger-nails, in perfect condition. 



Li conclusion, Easter Island might be described as a plateau of 

 basalt raised from 50 to 100 feet above the sea. Superimposed on 

 this were numerous cones ranging up to nearly 2000 feet. The 

 plateau was covered but sparsely with soil, and could only be 

 crossed with difficulty in any direct line. The cones, on the otlier 

 hand, were generally smooth of surface, with a good depth of soil. 

 Nevertheless the island is practically without trees, bushes, or 

 shrubs. 



A short discussion followed, to which the Lecturer replied ; and 

 the thanks of the Fellows present were accorded to Mr. Routledge 

 for his lecture. 



A large series of lantern -slides and specimens of the rock of 

 which the stone-images of Easter Island were made, were exhibited 

 by Scoresby Routledge, M.A. 



J. B. Scrivenor, M.A., F.G-.S., G-overnment Greologist to the 

 Federated Malay States, exhibited a manuscript geological map 

 of the Malay States. This map, which he presented to the Society, 

 was prepared b}'- himself from all sources, and represented all that 

 was known of the geology of the region at the end of the vear 

 1916. 



