72 
J. R. Dakyns — High-level Terraces in Norway. 
advisable to round tke island outside it, wlnlst he, with some of the 
officers, went in the boats and visited the villages on the south and 
west coasts. This was the last friendly reception that the late 
Commodore had from the natives, for it was on the following day 
that he received his deatli wound at Santa Cruz. 
It is fortunate that the Pearl was not piloted inside the “ Barrier 
Beef,” for the lagoon space was reported (on the return of the boats) 
to be full of patches of growing coral, wliick rendered the passages 
too intricate for a vessel of her size. You will gather from my 
remarlis, that I consider these sunken shoals to be a continuation of 
the “ Barrier Reef.” The following questions therefore arise : have 
these shoals grown up since the survey in 1828 by Capt. Dumont 
d’Urville ? or did they exist at that time, and were by some mis- 
chance not discovered ? The survey, in other respects, appears to 
be such a good one that I am loath to believe that the latter is 
the case. 
Mr. Darwin, in his second edition, revised, of the “Structure 
and Distribution of Coral Reefs,” pp. 64, 167, and 216, mentions 
this “Barrier Reef,” and that the level of the islands has been 
affected by earthquakes ; also Prof. Dana, in his English edition of 
“ Corals and Coral Islands,” p. 307, refers to the same thing. 
With respect to the coral patch off Dillon Head, had it existed at 
the time of the Survey, it could not well have been overlooked, for 
it was distinctly visible (with an occasional heavy break over it 
during our stay) from the anchorage. Another reason for believing 
that alterations have taken place in the harbour, is found in the names 
that were given to the other two shoals, leading one to imagine that 
they would be difficult to be made out, wbereas they appear always 
to have a break upon them, and can be plainly seen ; the terms 
“Deceitful” and “ Treacherous ” would scarcely have been applied to 
these most apparent dangers had they in the year 1828 been in their 
present state. 
On the west or lee side of Vanikoro Island there were several 
large stones of coral rock, well above the water, lying on the “Barrier 
Reef,” wliick were not shown upon the ckart. 
Contrary to what one generally finds with respect to these reefs, 
the highest part is to leeward and the sunken position to wind ward. 
Tapoua Island, which lies 20 miles N.W. from Vanikoro, has a 
“ Barrier Reef,” but Santa Cruz, which is 40 miles further to the 
N.W., has not any ; a fringing reef borders portions of the coast, 
but it is not continuous. 
VIII. — High-Level Terraces in Norway. 
By J. R. Dakyns, Esq. ; 
Of H. M. Geological Survey of England and Wales. 
I N the summer of 1872 I visited Norway, and wrote the following 
brief notice of certain high-level terraces immediately on my 
return to England, but kept it back that I might first consult some 
papers on Norwegian terraces that had appeared in the closing 
numbers of “ Scientific Opinion ” ; these I was not able to meet 
