tongatAbu. 189 



To the northeast of the harbor of Nukualofa^ north of the Narrows, 

 immense L-shaped flats extend, on wliich are a number of low islands (PI. 

 115, fig. 3), such as Fafa, Monu afe, Yelitoa, Onevai, Motu Tabu, Onevao, 

 Fukave, Nuku, Ata, and Tau. The L-shaped flat encloses a wide bay 

 covered with coral patches, shoals, and islands, the principal of which is the 

 low island of Malinoa, and extends towards the Lahi Passage (PI. 215). Biha, 

 or the eastern passage, leads as far as Atata Island into a wide open bay, 

 flanked on the northeast by innumerable coral patches leading to Egeria 

 Pass, which is the principal western entrance of Tongatabu (PI. 215). To 

 the north of Egeria Channel is an extensive, low, triangular reef flat, which 

 separates it from the Lahi Pass. 



To the west of Atata Island, a deep indentation of the reef flat to the 

 east of Niu Aunofo Point, with from seven to ten fathoms of water, is 

 called Maria Bay. It is cut off" from free access to the sea by large reef 

 patches, outliers and islands, thrown up on the western face of the plateau 

 of Tongatabu. The principal flats are called, the one Hakau Tabu and the 

 other to the northeast of Egeria Pass, Hakau Mamao (PI. 215). From that 

 point the Tongatabu bank gradually slopes to the northward, and dis- 

 appears on the edge of the broad channel which sejjarates it from the 

 Nomuka group. The least depth in this channel is about 270 fathoms. At 

 the western extremity it has a width of about four miles, and at the 

 eastern a breadth of nearly ten mfles (PI. 214). 



As we entered the passage leading into Tongatabu, we could distin- 

 guish on our left patches of two terraces separated by short reaches of 

 coral sand beaches, the low limestone cliffs of the terraces being deeply 

 undercut and gouged out. Tongatabu as seen coming from the sea is 

 very striking. The numerous islands which once formed part of the main 

 land can be seen stretching to the north as far as the eye can see ; and 

 as we approach Tongatabu, the whole of its north shore seems cut into 

 myriads of little hills and sand bars, with but little vegetation. Here and 

 there a larger island rises among the lower ones, showing according to 

 its height (PI. 115, fig. 3) that it once formed part either of the first or 

 of the second terrace. Low vertical limestone cliffs crop out on nearly 

 all the islands, and these are more or less rounded according to their 



