part 1] PROCEEDINGS OF THE GEOLOGICAL SOCIETY. V 



The Secretary read the following communication, received 

 from the Under Secretary of State for the Colonies : — 



Headquarters, Rabaul, May 20th, 1919. 

 Memorandum addressed to the Secretary for Defence, Melbourne. 



' I have to report a severe earthquake shock, experienced in Rabaul on the 

 morning' of the 7th inst. As nearly as can be ascertained, the first tremor 

 occurred at 5.40 a.m. It took the form of a preliminary shake, and was 

 followed by a long 1 shock, or succession of shocks. The ground rocked in a 

 most alarming manner, trees swayed backwards and forwards, cracks appeared 

 in the surface of the earth, and much damage was caused to property. 



' Of course, ordinary earth-tremors are of such common occurrence here 

 that they do not even cause comment. Bat, despite the exceptionally wet 

 season, there had been a marked absence of " gourryas " (as the natives call 

 these shocks) for several weeks. Whether the shock in question was the 

 result of the stored-up energy thereby conserved, or not, it is a fact that it 

 more than made up for our previous immunity. The morning- of the 7th was 

 marked by an extraordinarily vivid sunrise, and many natives affirmed that 

 the vivid colours in the sky foretold the earthquake. None of them, however, 

 appear to have actually prophesied it before the event. Reveille had blown 

 at 5.30 A.M., and the men of the garrison were preparing to go on early 

 morning parade at (3 o'clock when the shock came. The wooden bungalows 

 rocked to and fro, rifles were forcibly thrown from the racks, and a few who 

 were snatching some minutes' extra sleep were pitched off their stretchers, 

 which were overturned on top of them. 



' The shock was felt most severely on Namanula Hill, outside Rabaul, upon 

 the summit of which Government House is built. The two portions of the 

 house, separated by a wide gangway, rocked in opposite directions, until persons 

 on the verandahs had all the sensations of being tossed about in a gale at sea. 

 The furniture in all the bungalows went crashing hither and thither, and vast 

 quantities of glass and crockery were smashed. When the earthquake sub- 

 sided, most of the houses built on the hill presented an extraordinary appear- 

 ance, the supports being tilted at all angles. Heavy 1000-gallon tanks were 

 rolled over like toys, and our Government Printing Office was completely 

 wrecked. 



' Naturally, the roads suffered considerably. The road from Namanula to 

 Rabaul is cut out of the hillside, and winds through steep cuttings. In many 

 places the hillside collapsed, completely filling these cuttings, and in other 

 places portions of the road itself slipped down the gully. One of my Staff 

 Officers was riding down to Rabaul, and was half-way through a cutting, 

 when a rumbling noise, which he described as reminiscent of an express train 

 approaching, startled his horse. Before he had time to realize what had 

 happened, the ground started rocking under his horse ; the trees far above 

 him commenced swaying, and 30 yards in front of him, the side of the cutting 

 broke away and filled the road to the depth of about 15 feet. The offieer 

 hastily turned his trembling horse to ride back, when he found that the cutting 

 was collapsing at the other end as well. 



' These earthquakes appear to be closely associated with the volcanic 

 belt in this region, and the earthquake on the 7th was followed by great 

 activity in the sulphur-springs at the foot of Mount Mother, the green fumes 

 spreading over the sea to a height of about 100 feet. 



' A tidal wave of some magnitude was experienced at Kokopo, where the 

 s.s. Nusa was compelled to put hastily to sea, so as not to be swept on to the 

 beach. The wave took up and tossed a large whaleboat upon the wharf, and 

 then receded so far as to leave the wharf entirely out of the water for the 

 time being. Even at Rabaul, the wave was of such proportions as to leave 

 thousands of fishes stranded above the high tide-mark. Despite extensive 

 damage done to property, it is remarkable that not a single casualty has been 



