The Banner-Democrat. [volume] (Lake Providence, East Carroll Parish, La.) 1892-current, 1896-07-04
REMARKABLE ISLAND.
Fresh water Incfoscd bS Rim Of Land
In tho Pacific.

rresh Water Incfoscd BY Rim Of Land
in tho Pacific.
A riffi Of land inclosing fresh-rster
like in the middle Of the Pacific oceanis
a novelty in the way OF islands, says
Lieut.. Summerville, of the British navy
There may not be more than one such in
the great ocean, and. at any rate, this
tyne Of island il extremely rare. This
smaii island is Niuafou, which is quite
apart from other ocean islands. 1t lies
midway between the Fiji and the sar
moan groups, and is under the govern
ment of the Tonga group. though it Is
200 miles from those islands.
Some time or other a volcanic vent
opened at the bottom of the ocean ana
the lava that poured out of it piled
higher and higher Until it finally over
topped the sea. A great volcafiic noun
tain had been formed, and the part OF
II that came into view above the waste
of waters was, of course, an island. In
the course of time this volcano was the
scene of one of those tremendous ex-
plosions that sometimes tear mountains
to pieces. 1t was such cataclysm that
blew of the upper 1900 feet of Kra-
katoa some years ago. The explosion at
Niuafou had d remarkable result The
interior of the crater was blown oft 10
a considerable depth, leaving only mar
row rim, in this case nearly perfect
ring, around the deep central cavity.
This is the island of to-day.
A thousand Tcngans live in the five
villages that lie along the outer slope
of that crater wall. The drainage from
the inner slope partly filed the cavity,
forming lake whose waters, though
slightly alkaline, are notable. From the
top of the crater rim one looks down
upon the peaceful lake within, with Its
three little islands and the curiously
shaped peninsula jutting out into 1T;
and outside the rim is the ever-restless
ocean.
This crater wall is mass of green,
except at Lava stream, where recent
flow of lava has hot yet received its coat
ing of verdure. Garden after garden
filed with tropical plants, meet the
view, and the villages, with the white
houses of the traders and missionaries,
and the native churches, make very
pleasing impression from the sea. This
is bit of the world where the shortest
path that can be made from one village
to another is along the arc of a circle
The island is about three and half by
three miles in diameter. and Oil TN aver
age it rises about $50 feet above the surf
that constantly dashes against the fooi
of the crater wall. The northern par'
of 1t is only quarter to half mile il
width. They have horses on this crates
rim, and if the natives desired to emu
late Barnum they might at least boas
of the biggest circus ring in existence
The only place where one may descend
| to the almost circular lake is on tn
north shore, the crater wall falling al
most perpendicularly to the lake a
every other point. The surface OF tn
lake is about 95 feet above sea level. TIL
lake is supposed to be very deep, and tn
natives tell of sounding of GEO fee
with no bottom. Crater lakes are oftel
very deep. The deepest lake in Nortl
America is Crater lake, in Oregon, wher
the sounding line shows maximum
depth of 1900 feet.-Geogrsphical jour
l