MAKATEA. 57 



the west coast (Pis. 23, 24 ; 26, fig. 2), running along the base of the 

 steep western slope of Makatea. The western extremity of the south 

 coast is also flanked by low limestone bluffs, and a narrow reef plat- 

 form extends from the southeastern point along the western face to 

 the northern point of the island, perhaps 400 feet at its widest point, 

 and gradually disappears as it passes around the northern point into the 

 face of the cliffs of the east side of the island. 



Makatea, as seen coming from the west, rises abruptly (PI. 21, figs. 1, 2) 

 from the sea. The northern part of the western face consists of vertical 

 cliffs composed of elevated tertiary coralliferous limestone (PI. 22), deeply 

 cut by vertical fissures, some of them of considerable depth, extending 

 neai'ly the whole height of the cliffs (PI. 25) ; the.se are fiom 120 to 150 

 and even 200 feet in height. At the northern end of the island they 

 are capped witli a rounded summit probably 30 or 50 feet higher than the 

 crest of the highest cliffs (PI. 22, fig. 1). The rounded summit falls off 

 equally on both sides, to rise to a low, .slightly pointed hill which stands on 

 the northern edge (PI. 21, fig. 3) of what looks from the sea like a marked 

 depression or sink, the southern extremity of which is marked by a low 

 conical hill (PI. 21, fig. 2) rising slightly above the line of vertical cliffs 

 which occupy the northern half of the southern part of the island. This 

 line of cliffs, covered in great part by vegetation, is considerably lower 

 than those of the northern extremity (Pis. 23 ; 26, fig. 2), and they are 

 separated by a more or less abrupt slope formed by the crumbling of the 

 limestone cliffs of that part of the island, mainly from the falling in of the 

 first terrace. From the southern summit the island slopes south very 

 gradually, and along the face of this long slope two terraces are plainly in- 

 dicated. The base of the second terrace can be traced far towards the 

 middle of the island (PI. 23). From the southern point northward 

 the island is flanked by a steep coral sand beach running up in places 

 close to the line of the cliffs or to the line of vegetation (Pis. 23, 24, 25 ; 

 26, fig. 2); and both it and the narrow shore platform of the west face, 

 which is bare at low water, disappear near the northern point. 



The first terrace is from 20 to 25 feet high and the second about 30 

 feet. Along the face of the vertical cliffs lines of caverns and deep 



