RENNELL - AN OUT OF THE WAY CORAL ISLAND 



215 



Outrigger canoes by the shore of Lake Te-JVggano, the largest fresh-water lake in the South Seas. 



the lake and lake shore, the forest, and the cultivated land near the 

 lake, to which we made a very strenuous and unfortunately rather brief 

 excursion. Besides animals, we brought home samples of ooze from the 

 lake, containing diatoms, which should provide important geological in- 

 formation. 



Between the sea and the wall of limestone at various points along the 

 coast — ■ especially in sheltered bays — there is a strip of sand, which is 

 densely planted with coconut palms. The village of Lavanggu, where in 

 a large, good house we had made our headquarters, stood in the middle 

 of one such coconut grove, which we examined for animal life as we did 

 the beach. Finally, we extended our collecting to the coral reef, where at 

 low tide we were able to wade. We thus succeeded in getting the shallow- 

 water fauna represented. 



Armed with collecting bottles and bigger receptacles as well as tweezers 

 and insect nets, and aided by some eager boys and youths with wonder- 

 fully sharp eyes, we tackled our various biotopes, and succeeded in bring- 

 ing back a large collection for sorting and preserving. In addition to this 

 systematic method of collecting we distributed hundreds of beads, fish- 

 hooks, old razor blades, and so forth in payment for creatures large or 

 small, two-legged, four-legged, or multi-legged, winged or wing-less, brought 

 to us bv natix'cs at all hours of the day or niffht. We ourselves also went 



