742 



SUBANTARCTIC ISLANDS OF NEW ZEALAND. [Physiography, Geologij. 



but they have all the appearance of a peat that has been partially coked by 

 the heat of an overlying lava-stream. They exhibit rough prismatic jointing, 

 but the vegetable structure has not been destroyed, and the streak is decidedly 

 brown. 



Sir James Hector says that there were at least four centres of volcanic activity, 

 but Kirk apparently was of the opinion that there was only one. He mentions, 

 however, a volcanic crater near the south coast in a good state of preservation. 



It is apparent that fragmental matter has played a prominent part in the 

 structure of the island. The clear sections given by the cliffs show that it has been 



Fig. 1G. — Nokth-east Point of Antipodes Island, showing Landing-Place and Small Islet composed of 

 Inclined Beds of Scoria and Flows op Lava. 



constructed of regular flows of lava and beds of scoria (see fig. 16). Captain 

 Hutton was of the opinion that it started as a submarine volcano. 



Specimens collected by Captain BoUons on the coast south of Reef Point are 

 scoriaceous in character. One piece of rock from a lava-flow 25 ft. thick, and running 

 noith-east, shows a well-preserved ropy surface, which suggests that the volcanic 

 activity was of very recent date, a conclusion also arrived at by Sir James Hector 

 from a consideration of the impossibility that the fragmental matter of which the 

 islands are largely built could resist for long the attacks of the heavy westerly seas. 



