The morning call., 1894-12-14
THE ERUPTION IN THE NEW
HEBRIDES.

The volcanic eruption in the New
Hebrides group which took place in No
vember appears to be normal sequel to
the seismic disturbance which began ten
years ago in the Straits Of Sunda. and was
repeated something ever twelvemonth
since in the islands Of the Philippine group.
The phenomena all occurred in belt
stretching from the equator to about 20
deg. south. All, or nearly all. the islands
in this belt are Of volcanic origin and con-
tain craters which discharged fire and lava
within brief geological period. Unfor-
tunately our information of their physical
history as we approach modern times Is too
Scanty to enable us to build theories. We
know that the belt contains active val
canoes, some OF them in elevated lands, as
in the island of Luzon, and others sub
merged like the one known as Krakat0a.
and local legends refer to repeated earth
Quakes of the most destructive character
which seem to alternate with the erup-
tons. AmbryD, the island where the late
eruption took place, is covered with coat
of tufa, and has probably been scene of
seismic activity throughout its existence.
The point of interest in the case is the
light which these volcanic disturbances
may possibly throw upon the theory that
the islands OF Polynesia or Oceanica are
the points of mountain tops in sub
merged continent. Students of geology
are familiar with the arguments by which
the existence of the prehistoric continent
of Lemuria was supposed to be demon
strated. It was a companion continent to
Ignatius Donnelly's Atlantis; but while
existence of the latter was inferred from
obscure passages in ancient writings and
the seaweed in the Sargasso Sea. the story
of Lsmuria Island rested on million
peaks juttng out of the ocean and only
needing q Slight elevation of its bed to
constitute a continuous territory larger
than Australia. Fanciful writer's, seeking
arguments TO justify his hypothesis. have
paid much attention to the habits OF the
coral insect 1t will not build at depth
much greater than 200 fathoms below the
surface; yet the deep-Sea sounding-line,
operating in the vicinity of coral atolls,
has brought up coral detritus from a
depth OF 1000 fathoms. This would seem
TO imply gradual depression of the ocean
bed, proceeding probably for an infinite
period of time.
Again, the ocean lying porth and north
westerly Of Australia. and washing the
coast of the Straits Settlements, is shallow.
the average depth rarely exceeding sixty
fatboms, while on the eastern side great
depths are enc untered. Between Aus
tralia and New Zealand the line frequently
indicates 1000 fathoms and over, and fur
Their north, in the latitude OF the Carolines,
the Challenger reported soundings al the
depth OF four miles. These facts cOnSti-
tute geographical puzzle 1t is easy to
understand that those portions of the sea
which are shallow may have once been
dry land; but it involves stretch of the
imagination to conceive that the space
which separates the two great British
islands can have been occupied by land.
The puzzle involves anthropologioal as
we'll as geographical problems. NJ. de
Quatrefages inclined to the belief that the
world was peopled from Papuan cradle /;
lie does not say so in so many words. but
be seems to have INDUCED fancy that the
human race must have first appeared in a
region of which Oceanica is the remains,
and have dispersed thence throughout the
globe.
The revival Of seismic activity will like
wise, in all probability, impart fresh iu-
terest to the discussion OF the causes of
earthquakes. After the earthquake at
Charleston, in 1886. men OF science ID
clned to ascribe these phenomena to the
slipping of rock strata. caused by the fall
ing of the earth in some places and Its ris-
ing in others, and Tor time, the volcanic.
the astronomical and the electric theories
fell into the background. 1t will be nov
in order for the biologists to find out II
there Is line of weakness. or. as miners
say. fault, in the rock underlying the Pa.
cific Ocean from the Straits of Sunda TO
the Hebrides. Ii there is. the succession
| of volcanic disturbances which have been
| noticed in the past ten years can be &C.
counted for on the theory which was
adopted respecting the Charleston earth.