68 "ALBATROSS" TROPICAL PACIFIC EXPEDITION. 



Apataki. 



Plates 37, 39 ; 40, fig. 1 ; 201, 20^. 



The southern part of Apataki is the only one which has been 

 carefully surveyed ; the chart shows the reef flat extending between 

 Motu ruvahine to Pakaka Passage,' with an island on the southeastern 

 point of the atoll connecting by a narrow reef flat, more or less bare 

 at low water, with the islet of the southwestern point, where the 

 reef flat becomes wider and is surmounted by reaches of a high 

 sand beach forming the bank between Seignelay Point and Pakaka 

 Pass. This sand beach passes into the low land rim forming the 

 southern boundary of Pakaka Channel. On the lagoon face of the pas- 

 sage are situated two islets similar to those found across the entrance 

 in other lagoons of the Paumotus, such as Avatoru Pass, Tiputa 

 Entrance, and many others. 



The island of Apataki is rectangular in outline, with a somewhat pointed 

 southern face. It is about seventeen miles long, and extends from north 

 to south. On the lee side there are a number of entrances which are 

 available only for small schooners. We examined the lagoon of Apataki 

 in the vicinity of Pakaka Entrance, and steamed along its western and 

 northern faces. The land rim of the southwest face of Apataki is broken 

 into numerous islands and islets separated by gaps and cuts of varying width 

 and depth, in many of which the old ledge is exposed (PI. 37, figs. 1 and 

 2). The lagoon sides of the islands and islets are flanked by sand reaches 

 and shingle beaches, while near the sea face they pass into lines of small 

 boulders or larger blocks. There are many ledges exposed in the lagoon. 

 Those we examined near Pakaka Entrance are more or less covered on 

 the weather side with sand or shingle beaches. On some of the sandy 

 islets a few cocoanut trees have obtained a footing. 



On the north side of Pakaka Pass a high coarse coral shingle beach 

 has been thrown up, while on the south a low point marks the entrance 

 (PI. 38, fig. 3). To the north of the passage the land rim is broken by 



^ Depot des cartes et plans de la mariue, 3577. 



