100 FUNAFUTI 



have been made. Not only is Funafuti an atoll of un- 

 exceptional character itself, but it belongs to a family of 

 atolls all of equally unexceptional character ; and these 

 again to a system which includes the Gilbert and 

 Marshall Islands, all of them excellent atolls. So far as 

 these are all distinguished by the same characters, what- 

 ever may be found true of Funafuti will apply to all 

 the rest. 



The labours of the Committee of the British Associa- 

 tion were then taken over by a Committee of the Eoyal 

 Society, at whose request the Admiralty generously 

 assigned to our assistance the Penguin, one of H.M. 

 gunboats, commanded by Captain Field, and stationed in 

 the Pacific for exploring purposes. The Eoyal Society 

 furnished funds to defray expenses, and the direction of 

 the expedition was placed in my hands : two volunteers, 

 Mr. Gardiner, of Cambridge, and Mr. Hedley, of Sydney, 

 were, with my permission, to accompany me. 



We joined the Penguin and left Sydney on May 1, 

 1896, taking with us a boring party which had been 

 selected for the work by Mr. Slee, the Government 

 Inspector of Mines and Drills. Its foreman, Ayles, had 

 acquired great reputation in the colony by his success in 

 conducting boring operations of exceptional difficulty. 

 On May 21st, after three weeks' voyage, we heard the 

 welcome cry, " Land ho ! " and Funafuti was seen on the 

 horizon. The ship was steered for the southern entrance ; 

 this was safely made, and we steamed into the noble 

 lagoon. Flying-fish spurted from under our bows, and 

 zigzagged in their darting flight around us ; here and 

 there in the midst of the blue waters green and purple 

 shallows marked the site of growing coral patches. On 

 the starboard side lay the beautiful island of Funafuti 

 proper, its pale sands ablaze in the light of the tropical 

 sun, its groves of palms cool with a refreshing green. A 



