256 "ALBATROSS" TROPICAL PACIFIC EXPEDITION. 



the usual belt of low bushes behind which rose the larger trees, mainly 

 cocoanut trees. We could trace the brilliant colors of the corals growing on 

 the outer slope of the reef down into twenty fathoms. 



Towards the western point of the southern face of the land rim, the outer 

 edge of the shore platform suddenly joins the beach which flanks the 

 western coast of Maraki (PI. 147, fig. 2). The western coast of Maraki is 

 flanked almost for its whole length by sand beaches and coarse shingle 

 beaches alternating with one another, much as we saw them in Maiana. 

 The absence of the shore platform on the greater part of the west side is a 

 most striking feature ; this may show that Maraki is a later stage than 

 that of some of the atolls of the Ellice and of the Gilbert groups, whore 

 no islands exist on the reef flats of the west side, and that where few islands 

 or islets have been formed on the reef platform of the western face. It is 

 easy to see, from the case of Maraki, how these difEerences have been 

 brought about. On examining its lagoon we are able to trace the successive 

 steps whicli distinguish Maraki from atolls which have remained more or 

 less open on the west, like Tapeteuea,^ Tarawa (PI. 224, fig. 4), Onoatoa 

 (PI. 22.3), or from those like Taritari (PI. 224, fig. 4), Apaiang (PI. 224, 

 fig. 2), Nonuti,- with only one or two islets on the western face, until we 

 reach a stage where the local conditions are such that the trade wind and 

 other prevailing winds have thrown up, on the outer faces of the atoll, a 

 high bank, such as exists at Maraki, which has finally closed the lagoon, 

 leaving only an unimportant opening leading into it. 



On the west face of Maraki a large number of huge blocks of Nullipores 

 have been thrown up on the shore (PI. 147, fig. 2). The soundings taken 

 when Ij'ing off the village to the north of the boat passage show the absence 

 of a shore platform, and that on the west face the atoll slopes gradually 

 into deep water.^ 



As we passed the gap of the boat passage (PI. 146, fig. 1), on the west 

 face of Maraki, we could look into the lagoon and see indistinctly the 

 eastern face of the land rim, as well as the secondary lines of islands and 



1 H. O. Chart 120. 

 - A. Chart 731. 



3 Prel. Report "Albatross" Tropical Pacific Ex., Mem. M. C. Z., XXVI., No. 1, 1902, p. 62, 

 Station 205. 



