ELEVATIONS IN PACIFIC CORAL REGIONS. 289 



twenty feet. It has a shallow lagoon, into which there are two 

 entrances ; some hummocks of coral reef-rock stand eight feet 

 out of water. 



Namuka and most of the Hapaii cluster, are stated by Cook 

 to have abrupt limestone shores, ten to twenty feet in height. 

 Namuka has a lagoon or salt lake at centre, one and a half-miles 

 broad ; and there is a coral rock in one part twenty-five feet 

 high. It is described by Williams (p. 296). 



Vavan, the northern ot the group, according to Williams 

 (p. 427), is a cluster of elevated islands of coral limestone, 

 thirty to one hundred feet in height, having precipitous cliffs, 

 with many excavations along the coast. 



Fylstaaj'fs ■ Island, south of Tongatabu, is a small rocky 

 islet without coral. Tafiia and Proby are volcanic cones, and 

 the former is still active. 



Savage Island, a little to the east of the Tonga Group, 

 resembles Vavau in its coral constitution and cavernous cliffs 

 It is elevated, according to Williams (pp. 275, 276), one 

 hufidred feet. 



Beveridge Reef, a hundred miles south-east of Savage, is low 

 coral. 



e. Sainoan or Navigator' Islands. — No satisfactory evidences 

 of elevation were detected about these islands. 



f. Atolls, no7'th of Samoa. 



On account of the high tides (four to six feet), the sea may 

 give a height of twelve to sixteen feet to the land. 



Swain's, near latitude 11° S., is fifteen to eighteen feet 

 above the sea where highest, and the beach is ten to twelve 

 feet high. It is a small island, with a depression at centre, but 

 no lagoon. Probably an elevation of two or three feet. 



Fakaafo, ninety miles to the north, is fifteen feet high. 

 The coral reef-rock is raised in some places three feet above 

 the present level of the platform. Elevation at least three 

 feet. 



Nukunono, or Duke of Clarence, near Fakaafo, was seen 

 only from shipboard. 



Oatafu, or Duke of York's, is in some parts fourteen feet 



u 



