90 "ALBATEOSS" TROPICAL PACIFIC EXPEDITIOX. 



The Raveskoi Islands- 



The Raveskoi Islands consist of three small atolls — Tuanake, Hiti, and 

 Tepoto — discovered by Bellingshausen in 1820. 



Tepoto. 



Tepoto ^ appears, as seen facing the southeast, edged with high coral sand 

 beaches with a few boulders scattered at their base. Accoi'ding to Wilkes's 

 sketch this small atoll is about two miles in diameter, nearly circular, with 

 a land rim on the northern part of the atoll, and a bare reef flat flanking 

 the southern face of the atoll. 



Tuanake. 



Plates 201, 203. 



Tuanake appears to have a very narrow land rim. — narrower per- 

 haps than in any atoll of the Paumotus we have seen thus far. On the 

 south side the atoll consists of an extensive flat filling that angle of 

 the lagoon and extending far into it as a huge spit. There are three 

 very prominent islands on the flat connected by beach rock ledges. On 

 the sea face the shores of the islands of the land rim are edged with 

 rocky ledges, alternating with short coral sand beaches, while on the lagoon 

 side they are bordered by coral sand beaches only. Tuanake " is, according 

 to Wilkes, rectangular in shape, with the land rim on the eastern, northern, 

 and western faces. The atoll is nearly four miles across. 



Owing to thick weather suddenly coming on, we were unable to examine 

 Hiti. Wilkes describes it as also rectangular, and it differs from Tuanake 

 only in size. The atoll is about two and one-fourth miles across. 



1 H. O. Chart S3. ^ Ibid. 



