194 '^ALBATROSS" TROPICAL PACIFIC EXPEDITIOX. 



base to summit. A beautiful mangrove swamp extends along the southern 

 part of the lagoon (PL 119, fig 1). The reef flats surrounding Nomuka are 

 extensive. The reef flat to the south of Nomuka Iki (PI. 216) is quite bare, 

 covered with Nullipores, forming a thick crust over it, with but few corals. 

 On the east coast Nomuka is flanked by a high coral sand beach fully fifteen 

 feet above low-water mark ; the coral sand is of a grayish color, mixed 

 with red earth near the lagoon. The soil is very fertile. There are a 

 few coral and sand patches near our anchorage in fifteen fathoms, and also 

 between the anchorage and the shore, as well as an extensive fringing 

 reef on the southwest face of Nomuka. The corals extending into deep 

 water do not seem to be numerous ; they are separated by wide lanes of 

 sand. 



Dr. Mayer also collected fossils on the low land forming part of the slope 

 towards the northern extremity of Nomuka, probably a part of the second 

 terrace, from the first terrace, which is about nine feet high, and also 

 from near high-water mark. The soil of the northern slope is deep ; it 

 consists of decomposed coral, of a rich brown and red color, and supports 

 a dense growth of cocoanuts, Tahitian chestnuts, Pisonia, Paritium, bread- 

 fruit, limes, bananas, etc. 



On the slope between Koto Maka and the shore, is a slight sink, or 

 basin of erosion similar to that which formed on the east face, the so-called 

 lagoon of Nomuka (PI. 216). The old ledge rock crops out at a point 

 immediately above the first terrace, where it is about nine feet high 

 above high-water mark. On the soutlieast face of Nomuka a huge sand 

 dune has formed on the weather-side, and hides the lower part of the old 

 ledge of elevated rock. Similar dunes can be seen on other islands in 

 the vicinity of Nomuka, where the tradewinds rake the coral sand beach. 

 The sand gradually creeping up on the slopes would eventually hide the 

 outcrops of the ledge, and would soon form a perfectly uniform slope of 

 coral sand, witli here and there an outcrop of the old ledge where it had not 

 been covered by the encroaching dune. 



