44 
native villages had been built) for some distance, and was able to 
obtain a view of another crater to the south, containing a small lagoon 
within. 
From Dobu, I had an opportunity of examining ti e coastline of 
Moratau, the largest island of the D’Entrecasteaux Group, from Ebeoa 
Point to Girigiria, and in crossing the bay the crateriform shape of 
Diau could be easily seen. Steam could also be seen rising at several 
points on the land to the north. My first landing place on Moratau 
was on the beach, protected by a shore reef, between the two points 
Atawaina and Rawia. The bold headland Atawaina consisted of a 
finely banded lava, in which small but perfect sandine crystals could 
be seen by the aid of a lens. The grassy timberless hill which slopes 
gradually down to the sea at Rawia, is formed of similar rocks to that 
of Atawaina, and represents the surface of a lava flow. 
After procuring a fresh supply of water for the launch at Meku- 
mara, I steered for the small bay surrounded by a crescent-shaped 
wall to the north-west of Rawai Point. Its peculiar scythe-shaped 
form pointed to its being the segment of an ancient crater, and an 
actual examination confirmed this view. Manifestations of solfataric 
action were evident on the face of the cliff. I landed on a coral reef 
which fringed the foot of the cliffs, and found the sea quite hot, 
owing to the streams of almost boiling water, which flowed down from 
the hills behind. I ascended the crater wall to the spot from which 
water vapour could be seen issuing in a long straight column. The 
crater was formed of andesitic lavas of the prevailing type. The one 
main vent — there were several minor ones from which steam and gas 
with a strong sulphurous odour were emitted — was surrounded by a 
large area of red and yellow clay, resulting from the decomposition of 
the lavas. There were all gradations from a perfectly unaltered 
sandine lava to a pure clay. 
The morning subsequent to my visit to this place, I chartered a 
cata.maran and landed at a village in a little bay south-east of Diau ; 
having piocuied native guides with whom I could only converse by 
signs, I ascended the top of the crater, the summit of which rose to 
900 feet above the beach. I he ascent was made up a gully carved 
out ol a blackish ash containing fragments ol pumice and volcanic 
glass. From the summit an excellent view of the cone— a tuff cone 
and its associations could be obtained \ its south-eastern face is 
hollowed out into numerous ravines, in which occasional sections show 
stratified ashes. J he crater wall has been breached by a lava which 
has flowed to within a short distance of the beach near Worua Island, 
d his lava has a suitace ol indescribable roughness, rendering locomo- 
tion on its surface somewhat precarious, and amateur boot repairing 
an imperative necessity. I followed the edge of the lava flow from its 
