1898.] Funafuti, Rotuma and Fiji. 461 



Namuka, 14 miles north-by- west of Fulanga, is about 4 miles 

 long by 1^ broad, its long axis lying east and west. A ridge with 

 cliffs to the sea surrounds it ; the heights are, as registered, 2G0, 

 240 and 210 feet; otherwise it is very even, but its plateau seems 

 to be much narrower than at Fulanga. To the south is a small 

 lagoonlet, 1 mile broad with a sand flat at its head ; the ridge, as 

 in the last islands, is continued across its entrance by isolated 

 rocks. The land at the ends of the island within the circle of the 

 ridge is from 50 — 100 feet above the sea-level ; it has no appear- 

 ance of a deep valley, but the ridge rises from it with more 

 precipitous and higher cliffs than at Fulanga. The rock is the 

 same kind of limestone, by the lagoonlet being remarkably hard 

 and crystalline with numerous pockets of the red sandy rock. 

 Numerous large caves are found on the outer face of the island, 

 and seemed to be situated in horizontal lines along the cliffs. 

 The reef is barrier about 1 mile distant from the shore, but to the 

 east fringes, and off the north-west consists of isolated patches, 

 covered with reef-building nullipores and corals ; the lagoon is 

 7 — 14 fathoms deep. 



The Yangasa Group lie south-east of Namuka and consist of 

 four islands in the lagoon of a barrier reef, 22 miles in circum- 

 ference, having a passage on the north-west side. They are 

 stated in the survey to be of coral, and this is corroborated by the 

 appearance of their slopes and vegetation. The natives also have 

 the same name for the rock, and state that it overhangs on all 

 sides, making landing very difficult. Yangasa Levu, the largest 

 island, seemed from the ship to have two flat summits ; on the 

 sides of these, running across the island, are two terraces, the 

 slope between being about 70°. The other islands of the group 

 are 210, 240 and 270 feet in height. 



About 14 miles east of Namuka, Wangava, a long, narrow 

 island lying north-east to south-west, 3| by 1 mile broad, is 

 surrounded on all sides by steep cliffs to the sea and has an ex- 

 treme height of 350 feet. The ridge round the island with the 

 exception of this hill is almost of a uniform height of 260 feet 

 with few undulations. To the centre its slopes are extremely 

 abrupt, and in it in reply to careful inquiries the natives stated 

 that there is a lake in which the tide regularly ebbs and flows 1 . 

 There is no doubt that its rock is all of the same limestone, the 

 fracture showing clearly in one place white and its cliffs over- 

 hanging very conspicuously. Round the island is a narrow 

 fringing reef, which north-west only consists of isolated heads and 

 patches. 



North-west of Wangava at a distance of about 35 miles lies 



1 I am indebted to the Hon. L. Allardyce, Native Commissioner, for these and 

 numerous other inquiries. 



VOL. IX. PT. VIII. 37 



