Volume 14 Australasia - dana ward's homepage

SUMATEAN ISLANDS. 93to the west the oceanic bed sinks rapidly, and within 60 miles of the islands thesounding line reveals depths of over 2,500 fathoms.Beginning in the north-west with the island of Babi, the chain terminates inthe south-east with Engano,* over 720 miles distant. The isolated islet of Christmas,300 miles farther on, might also perhaps be regarded as belonging to thesame system, lying as it does in a line with its axis, but this point is renderedsomewhat doubtful by the distance and the great depths of the intervening waters.Excluding this rock, the western islands, which beyond doubt depend geographicallyand geologically on Sumatra, have a total superficial area of about 6,000• Telanjang of the Malays, Taigoeka of the native.'), and probably the Engano, or • ' DeceptionIsland," of the Spaniards.