86 Director's Anyiual Report. 



The old exposed beach conglomerate was immediately back of 

 the opening in the reef, and it was doubtless owing to the adtion of 

 the waters that the loose superposed shingle, which was some four 

 feet in depth over it, had been removed exposing this interesting 

 bit of geological data. Everywhere along this beach was to be 

 found evidence that the island was being added to at all times, and 

 especially during storms. Stretching along the entire southern 

 side was an apparently new beach. On inquiry I learned from the 

 Japanese that in the month of Ocftober, 1901, there had been a 

 heavy storm from the south that prevailed with much violence for 

 ten daj'S, during which the sea rose to a point they indicated to 

 me that was fully twenty feet above the ordinary water line.- It 

 was at the time of this storm that the new beach referred to was 

 laid down ; I estimated its width to be forty feet, with the greatest 

 depth of twelve feet at about the middle of the southern shore. 

 Back of this new deposit there were evidences of similar construc- 

 tive storms in the not too distant past. 



The northwest coast (Fig. 3) was made up largely of sand and 

 small coral shingle, and the beach formed a less abrupt angle with 

 the sea level than the one just considered, indicating that though 

 it was not wholly free from storms they had been less frequent, and 

 as a rule less violent in recent years. About a quarter of the dis- 

 tance from the northern point, and extending from there on to the 

 northern end of the island, was exposed a black coral reef one 

 hundred and fifty feet at the widest point, and sloping from the 

 land to the sea ; it is probably seven feet above the water line, 

 where it disappears under the sand and shingle of the upper beach. 

 The geological significance of this elevated reef is apparent. Its 

 surface was sculptured into holes and ridges by the ac5lion of the 

 water, while its stru(5lure was most compact and must have offered 

 great resistance to ordinary weathering ; some of the pits in the 

 surface were large enough to hold several gallons of water. 



The east and last side of the island to be considered shows the 

 effect of many furious storms; indeed, it is all the industrious 



2 Since the preparation of the above article I have received a letter from Mr. V. Nagata, a 

 Japanese who was on the island during our visit. He states that on September 2. 1902 (a 

 month after our departure), a storm of unusual violence broke on the island from a southerly 

 dire(ftion, carrying away the rough houses, destroying many of the trees, and forcing the 

 colonists to retreat to the highest point for safety. They were left without food other than 

 fish and birds from that date until December 25. During this time sixteen of their number 

 perished. 



