HUAHEINE. 157 



surrounded, as Tahiti is on its eastern face, by a narrow barrier reef with 

 a number of passages between it and the enclosed lagoon. At the eastern 

 point, the southern point, and off the northwest point, as well as the greater 

 part of the north coast, the narrow barrier reef is changed into a more or less 

 prominent fringing reef flat, partly submerged, studded with endless out- 

 liers flanked with shallow patches of water, and here and there a deep 

 lagoon basin (PI. 90, fig. 1), the parts of which are connected on the east 

 face, disconnected on the north, and indistinctly marked on the west coast 

 (PI. 208, fig. 6). A number of small reef harbors are cut into the wide 

 barrier reef flat. Lakes Temae and Motuiti (Pis. 90, fig. 1; 208, fig. 6) 

 are evidently former lagoons which have been shut off from the sea by 

 the outlying barrier reef flats of the northeastern face of Murea (PI. 91, 

 fig. 2). Murea Island presents no features which have not been observed 

 in Tahiti ; as in Tahiti, there are but few islands and islets on the barrier 

 reef flats ; in Murea they flank its northwestern point, as do the islands 

 off the east face of Tahiti, and are composed of volcanic rocks, as is the 

 underlying reef flat. 



The erosion of Murea has been even more extensive than that of Tahiti, 

 and nowhere do we find, except perhaps at Bora Bora, finer examples of 

 erosion than in the needle-like ridge and peaks, characteristic of Murea. 

 An examination of the chart' will indicate to what extent the mass of 

 Murea has been sculptured to reach its present condition. Like Tahiti, 

 it is well watered; numerous streams flow in all directions along the slopes 

 of the central mountains, and pour masses of silt into the lagoons of its 

 coast. 



Huaheine. 



Plates 92; 94, fig. 4; 202; 210, fig. 1. 



Huaheine is about twenty miles in circumference, the northern part of 

 the island being called Huaheine Nui, and the southern part Huaheine Iti ; 

 they are separated by a canon extending two thirds of the way across from 

 the eastern face, forming Farerea Pass, and Maroe Bay. It connects with 



» A. Chart 1382. 



