178 
DISTRIBUTION OF COPAL-REEFS. Ch. VI. 
on this part, as well as on the rest of the land, (which, as 
Cook observes, rises above the height of a true lagoon- 
island,) coral-rock like that on the beach was found. In the 
Navigator or Samoan Archipelago, Mr. Coutliouy 1 found 
on Manua many large fragments of coral at the height of 
eighty feet, ‘ on a steep hill-side, rising half a mile inland 
from a low sandy plain abounding in marine remains.’ 
The fragments were embedded in a mixture of decomposed 
lava and sand. It is not stated whether they were accom- 
panied by shells, or whether the corals resembled recent 
species ; as these remains were embedded, they possibly 
may belong to a remote epoch ; but I presume this was 
not the opinion of Mr. Coutliouy. On the other hand, Mr. 
Dana says expressly in one place, that ‘ no satisfactory 
evidences of elevation were detected about these islands ; ’ 
and in another place he says (p. 3261 that some of the 
islands have probably subsided. Earthquakes are very 
frequent in this archipelago. 
Still proceeding westward we come to the New Hebrides. 
On these islands, Mr. G. Bennett (author of Wanderings 
in New South Wales) informs me that he found much coral 
at a great altitude, which he considered of recent origin. 2 3 
The Loyalty Islands are situated west of the New Hebrides, 
and not far from New Caledonia ; and one of these islands 
has been clearly shown by the Rev. W. B. Clarke (Journal 
of Geolog. Soc. 1847, p. 61) to consist wholly of coral-rock, 
and to have been raised within a recent period by at least 
two distinct elevations to the height of 250 feet. The 
shores are now fringed by reefs. Respecting Santa Crus 
and the Saloman Archipelago 3 1 have no information ; but 
at New Ireland, w'hich forms the northern point of the 
1 Remarks on Coral Formations, p. 50. 
2 [Prof. Moseley, Notes of a Naturalist in the Challenger, speaks of 
indications of elevation to an extent of about 5 feet.] 
3 [See Mr. Guppy’s description, Appendix II.] 
