PRELIMINARY REPORT. 35 
After leaving Nukufetau we encountered nothing but bad weather, 
which put a stop to all our work until we arrived under the lee of Arorai, 
the southernmost of the Gilbert Islands. On our way from Taputeuea we 
steamed to Apamama and Maiana, which we examined, as well as Tarawa. 
We next examined Maraki, an atoll which is nearly closed with high 
beaches, having only two small boat passages leading through the narrow 
outer land-rims. Both Maraki and Taritari, the last island of the Gilberts 
which we visited, are remarkable for the development of an inner row of 
islands and sand-bars in certain parts of the lagoon parallel to the outer 
land-rim, a feature which also exists in many of the Marshall Islands 
atolls. 
We reached Jaluit the 9th of January, and after a few days spent 
in coaling, we passed about three weeks in exploring the Marshall Islands, 
taking in turn the atolls of the Ralick Chain to the north of Jaluit: Ail- 
inglab Lab, Namu, Kwajalong, and Rongelab, and then some of the atolls of 
the Ratack Chain, Likieb, Wotje, and Arhno. The atolls of the Marshall 
Group are noted for their great size and the comparatively small area of 
the outer land-rims, the land-rims of some of the atolls being reduced to 
a few insignificant islands and islets. In none of the atolls of the Ellice, 
Gilbert, or Marshall Islands were we able to observe the character of the 
underlying base which forms the foundations of the land areas of these 
groups. In this respect these groups are in striking contrast to the Pau- 
motus, the Society Islands, the Cook Group, Niue, the Tongas, and the 
Fiji Islands, where the character of the underlying foundations of the 
land-rims is readily ascertained. But, on the other hand, these groups 
give us the means of studying the mode of formation of the land-rims 
in a most satisfactory manner, and nowhere have we been able to study 
as clearly the results of the various agencies at work in shaping the end- 
less variations produced in the islands and islets of the land-rims of the 
different atolls by the incessant handling. and rehandling of the material 
in place, or of the fresh material added from the disintegration of the 
sea or lagoon faces of the outer land-rim, or of the corals on the outer 
and inner slopes. It has been very interesting to trace the ever-changing 
conditions which have resulted in producing so many variations in the 
