20 EXPEDITION OF THE " ALBATEOSS," 1899-1900. 



face of this extensive domiflation and erosion, to state positively what 

 may be part of the ancient Ingooii, or sound, and what has been carried 

 away by atmospheric and otlier agencies since the elevation of the island. 

 At the south end of tlie island, which is lower than the northern part, 

 there are only two distinct terraces, while at the northern end four ter- 

 races can be traced. The southern extremity, however, is still higher 

 than the deepest part of the central sink of the island. 



From Makatea, we visited Niau, Apataki, Tikei, Fakarava, Anaa, 

 Tahanea, Raroia, Takume, Taenga, Makemo, Tekokoto, Hikuern, Marokan, 

 Hao, Aki-Aki, Nukutavake, going as far east as Pinaki, when we turned 

 westward again, to Nukulipipi. 



On arriving at Pinaki we decided to give up the exploration of the 

 eastern extremity of the Paumotus, and not to make our contemplated 

 visit to the Gambier Islands, our time having been greatly curtailed by 

 delays at Fakarava and Makemo, from bad weather and the non-arrival 

 of our coal supply. We therefore reluctantly turned westward again and 

 made for the Gloucester Islands. These, as well as Hereheretne, proved 

 most interesting ; they formed, as it were, an epitome of what we had 

 seen on a gigantic scale in the larger atolls of the western and central 

 Paumotus. We could see at a glance in such small atolls as Nukutipipi 

 and Anu-Anurunga the connection between structural features which, in 

 an atoll of forty miles in length and from ten to fifteen miles in width, 

 it was often difficult to determine. 



We anchored in Fakarava and Makemo lagoons, spending a number of 

 days in both these atolls. We usually timed our visits to the islands 

 where we could not anchor so as to spend the day, or the greater part 

 of the day, at these atolls, making our passages at night, and sounding 

 whenever practicable on the way. 



After leaving Tahiti we made over 100 soundings. These have shown 

 in a general way that the western islands are probably all on a great 

 plateau connected perhaps by the 800-fathom line ; that such islands as 

 Anaa are probably on spurs or independent smaller plateaux, separated 

 from the main plateau by somewhat deeper water ; the same may be the 

 condition of Raroia and Takume, and of Ilao and Amanu, while such 



