THE SOLOMON ISLANDS 
443 
New Georgia and San Cristobal are now apparently extinct. 
The latter island is largely composed of much altered and 
sometimes highly crystalline volcanic rocks, which Mr. 
T. Davies regards as having been formed at considerable 
depths, and indicating great geological age. In many 
parts there are evidences of upheaval on a vast scale, such 
as to lead Mr. Guppy to the conclusion that the islands 
have not at any time been connected with New Guinea. 
But on the whole the fauna has such marked affinity 
with that country that it can hardly be accounted for 
by such a theory, although the remarkable specialisation 
of some forms leads to the conclusion that the islands 
must have been long separated. 
The Solomons were discovered, and many of them 
named, by the Spaniard Mendana in 1568. For two 
centuries their position remained unknown, the journals of 
the voyage having been suppressed; but Carteret reached 
them in 1767 and Bougainville in the following year. 
Subsequently they were frequently sighted or touched 
at by navigators; but the treacherous and bloodthirsty 
character of the natives always prevented much inter¬ 
course. Of late years traders have frequented the 
islands, and in 1847 a mission was established. Several 
of these pioneers were murdered, how r ever, and even now 
travel in most parts is impossible owing to the savageness 
and treachery of the natives. When Europeans become 
more familiar to them it is probable that these frequent 
murders will cease, but at present there is no doubt that 
the Solomon islanders are more dangerous than any other 
natives of Melanesia. There are now, nevertheless, not 
less than thirty white men either resident on the islands 
or permanently engaged in trade with their inhabitants. 
We are indebted to Mr. H. B. Guppy and Mr. C. M. 
Woodford for the greater part of the information we 
