TOPOGRAPHY. 19 
I. The Hawatan Cuain.—This chain extends northeastward from 
Hawaii to 175° east longitude, and has a length of about 2000 statute 
miles. 
Il. Noxunivan Cuatn.—If the Fanning Group may properly be 
associated with the Marquesas, the whole length of this chain is 
1500 miles. 
III. Paumotu Cuain.—Reckoning from Lazaroff at the northwest, 
to Ducie’s at the southeast, this chain extends over twenty-five 
degrees of longitude, and is 1500 miles long. It is of some interest 
to observe that nearly in the same line, fifteen degrees, or about 1000 
miles farther east, lies Waihu, or Easter Island, and four degrees 
beyond Sala-y-Gomez. 
IV. Tanirian Cuatny.—The Tahitian Islands appear to continue 
as far eastward as St. Juan Baptista, making a length of 1500 miles. 
It would perhaps be more correct to consider the Paumotu and ‘Ta- 
hitian Islands as separate and parallel ranges of the same chain. 
V. Samoan Cuatn.—The Samoan chain is prolonged southeast- 
ward through the Atiu or Hervey Group to Raivavai and Rapa, and 
northward and westward by Vaitupu, ‘Tarawa, to the Marshall Groups. 
It is therefore the great back-bone or central chain of the Pacific, 
and is about 3800 miles long. Nearly the same extent is given 
the chain by Malte Brun. The Atiu and Raratonga lines appear 
as parallel spurs or subdivisions at the eastern extremity, and the 
Radack and Ralick Groups similar parallel lines at the northwest 
extremity. 
VI. Satomon Cuatn.—The Salomon Islands and New Hebrides 
form a single line, which is continued southeastward to Matthew’s 
Rock, in latitude 23° 3’, and westward to the Admiralty Islands, a 
distance of about 2000 miles. 
VII. New CaLeponta Cuain.—New Caledonia, and the Louisiade 
Group, make a line 1200 miles in length; and this is continued 
westward by the north side of New Guinea. The Britannia line, 
northeast of New Caledonia, is a parallel range. 
Malte Brun unites New Guinea with the north of New Zealand, 
through the Salomon Islands and New Caledonia, as one grand 
compound range. We may, however, with much appearance of 
propriety, consider this part of New Zealand as ranging, through 
Middleton and Lord Howe’s Island, with the north of Australia or 
south of New Guinea. The island of New Guinea, it should be 
remembered, is four hundred miles in breadth. But New Zealand is 
