GG 



'ALP.ATROSS" EASTERN TROPICAL rACIFIC EXPEDITION. 



of the barrier reef, with from 7 to 11 fathoms. Its rim is formed by a 

 ring of reef patches of varjing size. 



On two occasions we visited tlie outer encircling reef and examined tlie 

 outer line of islets of the eastern face of the Gambier Islands (Pis. 78-91). 

 The position of the islets as marked on the chart (Pi. 14) is not that of 

 to-day, and the position of the reef flats is not accurate. The position of 

 Tekava and Tauna (PI. 72, fig. 2) appears to be correct. Opposite Au Kena 

 and in its extension, the east face of the encircling reef projects sharply to 

 the east, forming an angular horn (PI. 73, fig 1), with one island south of 

 the horn and the other north, running at sharp angles with it, so as to form 

 a deep triangular bight opening westward to such an extent that when off 



the northern side of the horn we could see Tekava far to the westward 

 of it. Tlie second island is followed by a third and then by an island 

 (Tarauru-roa) nearly two miles long ; these islands are separated by small 

 gaps. Then comes a larger island (Amou) followed by three small islands 

 separated by deep gaps (PI. 14). 



At VaiaJ,ekeue' (not the Vaiatekeua on the chart, which is nortli), the 

 reef flat becomes quite narrow ; it is hardly more than one hundred yards 

 wide ; the islets perhaps fifty. The northern islets are small and separated 

 by long stretches of low shingle, and carry but little vegetation and very 

 few cocoanut trees (PI. 77). There are but few short sand beaches all the 

 way from the northeastern to the eastern horn of the eastern face of the 

 encircling reef of Manga Reva (Pis. 74-76). A regular dam of shingle 

 from ten to fourteen feet high, on the top of which the usual coral reef 



* Vaiatekeue is the islet on the encircling reef due east of Point. Mata-iutea. 



