whole south and east of Gilolo, consist in a great measure
of upraised coral-rock, exactly corresponding to that now
forming in the adjacent seas. In many places I have
observed the unaltered surfaces of the elevated reefs, with
great masses of coral standing up in their natural position,
and hundreds of shells so fresh-looking that it was hard
to believe that they had been more than a few years out
of the water; and, in fact, it is very probable that such
changes have occurred within a few centuries.
The united lengths of these volcanic belts is about
ninety degrees, or one-fourth of the entire circumference of
the globe. Their width is about fifty miles; but, for a
space of two hundred on each side of them, evidences of
subterranean action are to be found in recently elevated
coral-rock, or in barrier coral-reefs, indicating recent submergence.
In the very centre or focus of the great curve
of volcanoes is placed the large island of Borneo, in which
no sign of recent volcanic action has yet been observed,
and where earthquakes, so characteristic of the surrounding
regions, are entirely unknown. The equally large
island of New Guinea occupies another quiescent area, on
which no sign of volcanic action has yet been discovered.
With the exception of the eastern end of its northern
peninsula, the large and curiously-shaped island of Celebes
is also entirely free from volcanoes; and there is some
reason to believe that the volcanic portion hafe once formed
a separate island. The Malay Peninsula is also non-
volcanic.
The first and most obvious division of the Archipelago
would therefore be into quiescent and volcanic regions,
and it might, perhaps, be expected that such a division
would correspond to some differences in the character of
the -vegetation and the forms of life. This is the case,
however, to a very limited extent; and we shall presently
see that, although this development of subterranean fires
is on so vast a scale,—has piled up chains of mountains
ten or twelve thousand feet high—has broken up continents
and raised up islands from the ocean,-yet it has
all the character of a recent action, which has not yet
succeeded in obliterating the traces of a" more ancient
distribution of land and water.
Contrasts of Vegetation.—Placed immediately upon the
Equator and surrounded by extensive oceans, it is not
surprising that the various islands of the Archipelago
should be almost always clothed with a forest vegetation
from the level of the sea to the summits of the loftiest
mountains. This is the general rule. Sumatra, New
Guinea, Borneo, the Philippines and the Moluccas, and
the uncultivated parts of Java and Celebes, are all forest
countries, except a few small and unimportant tracts, due
perhaps, in some cases, to ancient cultivation or accidental
fires. To this, however, there is one important exception