TEKOKOTA. 109 



The lagoon side of the land south of the northeast passage shows the 

 same features as the land north of the pass. As we passed out and steamed 

 along the eastern face of the north shore, we could see that the south end of 

 the atoll presented the same alternating features of coral sand beach, 

 shingle, low rim land, and islets and islands, characteristic of the land rim 

 which we examined to the north of the pasg. 



Tekokota. 



Plates 66, 201, 203. 



On the southern face of Tekokota, near the northwest horn of the atoll 

 (PI. 66, fig. 2), where tlie shallow reef flat forms a wide rounded point of 

 light green water edging the darker blue green of the small lagoon, there 

 are fine examples of bars of shingle and of beach rock running trans- 

 versely across the reef flats, headed by a shingle beach (PI. 66, figs. 3, 4) 

 with a tail terminating on the lagoon side in a low sand bar or sand islet. 

 On an island covered by tall Fetau trees (PI. 66, fig. 4), which shelter a 

 regular rookery of boobies, there is a very fine outcrop of the old ledge 

 tapering off to the south in a line of negro-heads on the outer rim of the sea 

 face platform. 



There is no land rim on the eastern end of the atoll (PL 66, fig. 1). A 

 long island on the eastern face, four islands on the opposite face, and one on 

 the north side compose the whole atoll land. There is a superb line of 

 breakers all round the atoll following the shore line (PI. 66, figs. 1, 2). 

 Judging from the color of the water in the lagoon, it must be of very 

 moderate depth, but there is a deep hole of dark blue near the northeast 

 horn of the atoll, as well as a band of darker green. 



Large boulders are scattered all along the rim of the reef flat, which is 

 quite narrow in places, the heavy swell and rollers rushing over the flat and 

 pouring into the lagoon over the east face. 



This is also called a closed lagoon, yet water is forced into it over 

 seven eighths of the rim flat on the faces exposed to the trades 

 (Pi. 66). 



