646 GEOLOGY OP SAMOA AND THE ERUPTIONS IN SAVAII, 



all these flows. The curious tapestry-like folds and cavernous 

 bulges and domes described and figured by Dana* abound on 

 these flows as well as on the new lava flow of 1905-06, all of 

 which belong to the pahoehoe type. 



The island of Upolo is almost wholly surrounded by a coral reef. 

 Savaii on the other hand lias for the most part rocky coast, called 

 iroubound coast; and where reefs occur they are close to the land. 

 Savaii is evidently much the more recent. The coral polyps keep 

 up a struggle to build a reef round it, but from time to time new 

 eruptions pour down masses of lava which fill up the space 

 between the reef and the shore, and cover the 3'oung reef. The 

 new volcano has in this way turned several miles of coral coast 

 into rocky, ironbound coast. At Papalaulelei, between Lealatele 

 and Fasaleaga, basalt cliffs, one hundred feet and over, form the 

 coast for several miles, and jut into deep water. This piece of 

 coast has most probably been formed in the way indicated above, 

 although I have nowhere seen basalt directly covering a coral 

 rock. 



Nowhere in Upolo or Savaii have I seen any marked indication 

 of raised beaches like those of Fiji. In the eastern extremity of 

 the island, from Puapua southwards, over a large area comprising 

 much of the province of Fasaleaga, the land is low-lyin«, and 

 composed of a calcareous sand of the coral reef type. This may 

 have been formed either of material driven in by wind and wave 

 from the coral reef skirting this piece of coast line, or by a slight 

 uplift of the sea bottom, amounting at most to 6 or 8 feet. From 

 the swampy nature of the country inside the coast, I consider the 

 latter alternative the more probable. A few similar patches of 

 much smaller extent occur in other places, as at Safune It is 

 highly doubtful whether they should be considered indicative of 

 uplift. On the other hand we have no evidence of depression. 

 The coral reefs fringe the coast and are separated from it by- 

 shallow water only. Where in Savaii basaltic cliff's face the open 

 sea, they jut into very deep water. If the island were undergoing 



* ' Characteristics of Volcanoes,' pp.117 and 118. 



