AGASSIZ: FIJI ISLANDS AND CORAL REEFS. 13 
Bonney? similarly takes Dana’s account of the eastern half of the 
Fiji Archipelago, as if it were based upon actual observations. Dana 
did not visit that part of Fiji, but derived his information from the sur- 
veys of these islands made by the officers of the United States Exploring 
Expedition. His statements are derived from the charts. 
TRACK OF THE “ YARALLA.” 
The track which we followed (Plate 1) was so arranged as to include 
for our first trip one or two of each type of island, and of the different 
types of atolls and barrier and fringing reefs in the group. Starting from 
Suva the day after our arrival, we visited Mbengha, returned to Suva, and 
went in the following order to Ovalau, Wakaya, Makongai, and Koro, 
skirted along the western shores of Taviuni, examined the northeastern 
coast of the same island, passed out through the Matangi Passage to 
Motua Levu and Motua lai lai, and skirted along the western extremity 
of the Nanuku reefs. From there we steamed to Wailangilala, where 
we landed our boring apparatus and the crew of whites and of natives 
needed for working the same. We then'turned north, passing close to 
Nuku Mbasanga and Adolphus Reef, and entered Ngele Levu Lagoon. 
We next examined the Ringgold Islands, paying special attentioy to 
Thombia in Budd Reef. From there we returned to a former anchorage 
off Thurston Point on Taviuni, and followed much the same track back 
to Wailangilala, where we found our boring party settled and at work. 
We then steamed south; examining Williamson Reef, the Kimbombo 
islets, Bell Reef, and entered the Vanua Mbalavu Lagoon through the 
Ngillangillah Passage. Passing out of the lagoon by the Tonga Pass, 
we touched at Mango, Tuvutha, Naiau, and Lakemba. We steamed past 
Aiwa, entered the Oneata Lagoon, visited Thakau Lekaleka, touched at 
Mothe, entered the Komo Lagoon, the Yangas& Cluster, and the Ongea 
Lagoon. We passed by Fulanga close to the entrance, which was too 
in which, as we have reason to believe, the foundations always lie at a greater 
depth [The Italics are mine. — A. Ac.] than that at which the reef constructing 
polyps can live.’ Yet Dana and Wharton, as well as Kriimer, say that it is an 
atoll, and the charts show it to be an atoll fully as much as any similar island 
in Fiji. So that if the islands in Fiji which resemble it, and which according to 
Dana and my own observations are atolls, yet according to Darwin they would 
not be so regarded, we shall have to seek for an atoll answering his requirements 
outside of the Fiji group. 
1 Loc. cit., p. 310. 
