294 CORALS AND CORAL LSLAMDS. 



in situ rising four feet above low-water mark." Rotuma (177° 

 15' E., and 12° 30' N.) is another high island, to the west of 

 Wallis's. It has encircling reefs, but we know nothing as to 

 its changes of level. 



k. Kings mill ox Gilbert Group. (Map, p. 133.) 



Tapateuea or Drummond. — This is one of the southern 

 islands of the group. The reef-rock, near the village of 

 Utiroa, is a foot above low-tide level, and consists of large 

 massive Astraeas and Maeandrinas. The tide in the Kingsmill 

 seas is seven feet ; and consequently this evidence of a rise 

 might be doubted, as some corals may grow to this height where 

 the tide is so high. But these Astraeas and Maeandrinas, as far 

 as observed by the writer, are not among the species that may 

 undergo exposure at low tide, except it be to the amount of 

 three or four inches ; and it is probable that an elevation of at 

 least one foot has taken place. 



Apaia?ig or Charlotte's Island, one of the northernmost of 

 the group, has the i'eef-7'ock in some parts raised bodily to a 

 height of six or seven feet above low-water level, evidencing 

 this amount of elevation. This elevated reef was observed for 

 long distances between the several wooded islets ; it resembled 

 the south reef of Nairsa in the Paumotu Archipelago in its 

 bare, even top, and bluff, worn front. An islet of the atoll, 

 where we landed, was twelve feet high, and the coral reef-rock 

 was five or six feet above middle tide. A wall of this rock, 

 having the same height, extends along the reef from the islet. 

 There was no doubt that it was due to an actual uplifting of 

 the reef to a height of full six feet. 



Nononti, Kuria, Maiajia, and Tai'awa^ lying between the 

 two islands above mentioned, were seen only from the ship, and 

 nothing decisive bearing on the subject of elevation was ob- 

 served. On the north-east side of Nononti there was a hill 

 twenty or thirty feet in height covered with trees ; but we had 

 no means of learning that it was not artificial. We were, how- 

 ever, informed by Kirby, a sailor taken from Kuria, that the 

 reef of Apaniama was elevated, precisely like that of Apaiang, 

 to a height oi Jive feet ; and this was confirmed by Lieutenant 



