36 EXPEDITION OF THE "ALBATROSS," 1899-1900. 



appearance and structure of the islands and islets of the land-rims of 

 the different groups. 



The boring at Funafuti will show us the character and age of the rocks 

 underlying the mass of recent material of which the land-rim, not only 

 of that atoll, but probably also that of the other atolls of the group and 

 of neighboring groups, is composed, tliough of course we can only judge 

 by analogy of the probability of the character of the imderlying base from 

 that of the nearest islands of which it has been ascertained. When we 

 come to a group like the Marshalls we have as our guide only the char- 

 acter of the base rock of the islands of the Carolines, which is volcanic, 

 while Nauru' and Paanopa Islands, to the west of the Gilberts and to the 

 southwest of the Marshalls, indicate a base of ancient Tertiary limestone. 



The vegetation of the atolls of the EUice, Gilbert, and Marshalls is more 

 luxuriant than that of the Paumotus, probably from the greater rainfall, 

 though the number of species of plants so characteristic of the western 

 atolls is not much greater. It is only in the larger western volcanic 

 islands — the Fiji, Samoan, and Caroline group — that we note the marked 

 increase in the number of species of forest trees allied to those occurring 

 still further west, over those on the eastern groups, like the Cook and 

 Society Islands. 



Owing to the continued storm}' weather and the probability of not being 

 able to land at Nauru and Paanopa while the unfavorable conditions lasted, 

 we did not attempt to visit them. 



After leaving Suva we made a number of soundings from south of 

 Nurakita toward the Marshall Group, which, in addition to those of the 

 "Penguin," clearly show that the Ellice Islands are isolated peaks rising 

 from considerable depths (from 1-500 to over 2000 fathoms) and that the 

 same is the case with the Gilbert Islands. We made about thirty soundings 

 between the atolls of the Marshalls, which appear to show that they also 

 rise as independent peaks or ridges, with steep slopes, from 2000 to 2500 

 fathoms, and that the so-called pantUel chains of atolls of the Marshalls, 

 the Ralick and Ratack, are really only the summits of isolated peaks 

 rising but a few feet above the sea-level. The Marshall Islands, as well 



' Nauru von Dr. Augustiii Kriiiiier. Globus, Vol. LXXIV., No. 10, September, 1898. 



