FUNAFUTI. 221 



coralliferous limestone rocks. The northern extension of Tengako (PI. 135, 

 fig. 1) is a long sand spit reaching out towards Amatuku. 



Some of our photographs show well the method of cutting the elevated 

 beach breccia and conglomerate along the east face of Funafuti into but- 

 tresses (Pis. 135, fig. 2; 136, fig. 1) and to the level of the reef platform 

 (PL 132, fig. 2), from the time that it was elevated, four to five or perhaps 

 even six feet, above low-water mark (Pis. 135, fig. 2 ; 136, fig. 1). 



A similar process has gone on on the lagoon side, but at a very inferior rate, 

 as is shown by the character of the material derived from the disintegra- 

 tion on the sea face of the breccia or beach rock into very coarse shingle or 

 even slabs, and on the lagoon side into coral sand of vai'ying fineness. Over 

 the central part of the land rim more or less fertile land has been formed 

 from the decomposition of the coral rock. Crossing the centre of the island 

 to the east of the village, we came upon a magnificent isolated mass of 

 beach rock conglomerate, showing plainly the extent to Avhich denudation of 

 the former land rim has taken place on Funafuti, after the slight elevation 

 to which it had been subjected. It also showed that the position of the 

 outer beach must at one time have been close to that now occupied by the 

 present lagoon beach at the northern extremity of Funafuti Island (PI. 133, 

 fig. 2). At several points in Funafuti, north of the village, beyond the end 

 of the sand beach, the island shows traces of once having been covered by 

 a continuous mass of beach rock conglomerate or of its outliers, and of 

 boulders thrown up by the sea which filled the space between the breccia 

 buttresses, as at the point marked on the admiralty chart " Pile of stones." 



We had no extremely low tides while at Funafuti, and therefore could 

 obtain only indifferent access to the outer part of the reef platform ; while 

 we could see that the coral breccia and conglomerate of the reef platform 

 were cut into spires and buttresses and knolls, and that its outer edge was 

 bordered with knolls of Nullipores and Pocillipores, yet the heavy swell 

 prevailing during our visit prevented us from examining in detail the outer 

 edge of the reef flat or of examining the slope to the seaward on which 

 corals were growing. 



Pava and Fualifeke, two islands to the northeast of the northern pass 

 (PI. 222), are connected by sand bars and by ledges of beach rock con- 



