1898.] Funafuti, Rotuma and Fiji. 431 



that amount. Then there is a steep beach of rounded pieces of 

 coral-rock, shells, etc. On the island itself there is a considerable 

 amount of sand with a very small, though distinct, sandy cliff 

 by the lagoon with a steep beach of shingle and sand. The lagoon 

 reef has a maximum breadth of about 120 yards with a steep drop 

 into about 4 fathoms of water. The sandy beach is not nearly so 

 well marked in the bay, which gives it the name of Horse-shoe 

 island, here being formed rather of a consolidated breccia, which 

 is not on the surface very firm. It can be seen to consist of coral 

 fragments, sand, and a large number of Tridacna and other shells. 

 Neither the coral skeletons nor the shells are in the position that 

 they naturally live in, but both dip towards the lagoon, and no 

 doubt there is a formation of rock going on here between tide 

 marks by the consolidation of these fragments. The greater part 

 is not exposed even at the lowest spring tides, so that we have 

 here the consolidation of a breccia both between tide marks and 

 under the water. 



Small pinnacles are by no means uncommon on the outer 

 rough zone to leeward : they are exactly similar to those of the 

 windward face, but are situated generally close to the outside 

 of the zone, which differs also in being much broader and often 

 strewn to a great extent with massive boulders. Some of the 

 pinnacles are not so well defined as belonging essentially to the 

 rock, of which this zone is composed, and seem to be rather masses 

 of the conglomerate, now being formed outside the reef, thrown 

 up on it by strong gales or hurricanes ; such are commonly 

 called " negroheads," and have been well described by Dana. One 

 part of the reef between two of the islands, which I was un- 

 fortunately prevented from visiting owing to a rough sea, appeared 

 to have a considerable number of such fragments. It is remark- 

 able that if there are " negroheads " on the leeward reefs, there 

 should be none on the reefs to windward, against which the force 

 of most of the gales is broken. Either they are only thrown up 

 in bad cyclones, or hurricanes (which always strike to leeward), 

 an almost impossible supposition, or the growth of these masses is 

 firmer to windward. I consider that such masses would be worn 

 away, and broken up much quicker to windward of the atoll than 

 to leeward, and I think, too, that the growth of the reef outwards 

 goes on faster likewise, so that the masses of reef forming outside 

 should be fixed more strongly, and be more firmly built to 

 windward. 



To the north of the atoll, are the two islands, Pava and 

 Fualifeke, separated by a narrow channel from one another, but 

 at low tide their rough zones are continuous. Towards the other 

 each sends out a sand bank, but these are separated by a pool 

 with about three feet of water at low tide. Off these islands 



35—2 



