The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1878-09-25

S an1a SAYoAS ISLANDS. July IL, ISIS
srha most extraordi binary commissions OF pa
tnrc SIRE taking place Throughout the island |
rroups OF Southern Polynesia, and never
II, the history OF man have these commissions
been so frequent IS during the present
wear. There can be no doubt that raging
fires Of great vastness are now constantly
active In che bowels OF the earth all through
these tropical ATTITUDES, Tor daily new
Islands have literally been formed before
our eyes. or old ones blotted OUT OF slsn.,
nhsorhed into the unknown by tremendous
EARTHQUAKES. Scarcely vessel arrives az
this mort that does not bring the news OF
some such gigantic action OF nature.
CAPTAIN Hassenburg, master OF the orig-
antine Matutu, arrived tere on the Sd 1n-
slant from the Eiiis group, and reports tnat
the cath has been acting in very strange
and mysterious manner. The sea enclrctiug
the group is constantly agitated, and vast
quantities OF pumice-stone are being thrown
TO the surface. At the Island OF Faitupu
It lies two feet thick upon the reel. When
lrst uDheaved it is hot, and is occasionally
mixed with lava. This phenomenon IS pc
leved to be the advaDce-gnard OF mighty
eruption, and the natives are looking lor
such an occurrence daily. me group IS Oh
volcanic origin, but whether the next earth
Quake will add TO the number OF islands or
diminish them is q question beyond human
conjecture.
Reports Of q remarkable CONFUSION OF
nature come from Tanna Island, and are
vouched for by Captain Kilgour, master OF
the schooner Stanley. The phenomenon
occurred on the 10th Of January last. AT
that date very severe shock OF earthquake
was experienced, and Immediately AFTER
ward a body of land, estimated at forty
acres, situated at the north entrance OF the
harbor, slid into the sen, and was aDsorDeo
out OF sight as if 1t were pebble. AT the
same moment tidal wave twenty feet high
swept over a portion Of the island, but for
some unknown cause its force was spent
very suddenly. A few days AFTER these
events Captain Kigour entered the harbor,
but did not deem it wise to anchor, ne hav-
ing observed the strange look OF the shore
since he last visited Tanna. Taking ships
boat. he went ashore and learned the facts
already stated, and also that considerable
damage had been done to property by the
tidal wave. Several native houses were
swept away, and 4 large cobra-store and all.
its contents dashed to pieces in an instant.
Fortunately, only few lives were lost.
The harbor suffered seriously, the depth OF
water having been lessened by six feet all
over. and rocks previously hidden out OF
sight are now plain TO view. The entrance
10 the harbor remains unchanged. During
the earthquake and tidal wave The greatest
terror seized the natives, who believed that
themselves and their island were about to
be swallowed up. At the time Of the de-
parture of the Stanley fears were entertain
ed that another eruption would follow, but
to lat, o; dates we have no news OF such
being the fact.
A New. Zealand captain who reached here
few days ago brings the intelligence that
a disastrous volcano eruption occurred at
Blanche Bay, New Britain, in the early part
OF last February. An OH crater that had
been inactive during many years broke out
with awful and alarming fury, destroying
two villages, the natives OF which fortu-
nately escaped with their lives. The erur-
ton was preceded by frequent shocks OF
earthquake, which alarmed the inhabitants.
and, taking warning therefrom, they fed
Just in time to save themselves. The shocks
were very severe in New Britain, but
were not felt on the Duke of York
Island, only twenty miles distant. AT.
ter the eruption it was discovered that
great quantities Of pumice-stone had been
thrown up from the sea, the extent being
several miles in length and averaging half
a mile in breadth. The pumice was spread
iE q crust OF from three to tive feet in depth.
The old crater is still active and throwing
up immense clouds OF thick black smoke,
accompanied by red-hot stones and ashes.
A loud roaring is distinctly audible for a
distance of twenty miles from the crater.
On the Sd Of February terrific shock rent
portions of the coast of New Britain, and
on the 4th two tidal waves swept with ire
sistible power along the shore, carrying
with them fabulous bodies OF earth. The
whole face of nature has been changed by
these commissions.
The British war-yessel Sapphire touched
at the island Of Tongatabu, one Of the
Tonga group. in April, and leaving there
on the 18th OF the month steamed for the
island OF Wavau, volcanic island which
first made its appearance above the water in
1854, and has been constantly growing ever
siuce, but as imperceptibIy as human
being grows. The object OF the officers OF
the war-ship was to note the changes Of this
growth in the years past. The captain OF
the ship John Wesley touched at the
island in 1862, when it had reached
a height OF about twelve feet above
the level of the sea. A few years later Il
Dutch captain estimated its elevation at 80
feet, and now it has attained an elevation of
Ill feet, as correctly measured by the Sap
phire. Its summit is covered with sulphur,
and large jets Of steam and smoke issue
slowly from the countless crevices. Except
that no volcano is in sight, the ground is
precisely like that adjacent to the great era
ter OF kilauea, on the Sandwich Islands,
from which myriads Of Jets of steam are
constantly elected.
On the 18th Of May, 1877, the waters of
this harbor rose and fell with surprising
Iapidity. After little while we had news
OF earthquakes and tidal waves on The
American continent on May 10th OF the
same year. Our time being later, these
waves must have travelled at tremendous
rate Of speed. Since the 1Ith OF May last
the tides OF this harbor have been remarka-
bly, low. Opposite Matafeie the bank, or
shoal, has grown considerably, in fact, all
round the beach the land seems to have risen.
But during the past six months, or since the
great tidal waves and earthquakes of 1877,
there is no record Of any visits from
threatening comets, although there may
have been CONVERSIONS of planets in the up
per ether and limited human know ledge
know nothing about it. Wbether the tides
Of Apia are governed by the action Of this
earth alone, or are produced By causes be-
yond our planet, b probiesa Ese leave 10
science. We only know that the Rarth is
growing about US. and that the growth has
been very rapid in the past six months. The
volcanic force is rarely visible here now,
but still the entire group is volcanic by birth.
1t seems, however, that volcanic agencies
are intensely active orer immense regions of
Polynesia.
The Few Eastera Questfon.
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