RONGELAB. 303 



Rongelab. 



Plates 171,figi. 3, 3; 172, 173, 235; 22(1, fig. S. 



The atoll of Rongelab (PI. 225), irregularly triangular in shape, is a little 

 over thirty miles in length, and about fifteen miles across at its southern 

 land rim. The eastern side is occupied by a narrow land rim, forming a 

 great bay ; there are numerous passages into the lagoon both on the eastern 

 and southern face. The main land rim is on the southern side and on the 

 eastern face ; the western reef flat is narrow, and only here and there a few 

 i.slands and islets have been thrown up during the prevalence of the 

 westerly winds. The island of Rongelappelap on the southeastern horn is 

 the principal island of the atoll ; it is exposed to the full force of the trades ; 

 its south shore (PI. 226. fig. 8) is flanked by a long sand beach of moderate 

 height ; in some places it has been blown in as dunes among the trees 

 and the belt of scrub vegetation (Pis. 171, fig. 2; 172, fig. 1). This is espe- 

 cially well marked at the eastern point of the south passage, where the sand 

 dunes have killed the greater part of the vegetation and have only left the 

 stumps of the trees rising through the sand. Along the sand dunes we 

 found, here and there, boulders of beach rock or coral conglomerate forming 

 a broken line of yellow boulders at the base of the sand beaches. The 

 principal islands on the east face of Rongelab are sandy islands or islets, 

 with few low bushes growing near the line of heavy breakers which indi- 

 cates the position of the outer edge of the reef flat (PI. 171, fig. 2). The 

 inner lagoon beaches of Rongelab (Pis. 171, fig. 3 ; 172, fig. 2) are ledges 

 of beach rock and coral conglomerate, alternating with coral sand beaches 

 and with reaches of black weathered coral shingle. The sand and shingle 

 is also frequently driven in between the trees from the lagoon side. The 

 vegetation consists mainly of Pandanus (PI. 173), and the few cocoanut 

 trees which have been planted by the natives. 



At the pass, off the south side of the island, a low spit runs fully two 

 thirds of a mile westward with two to three fathoms of water ; the peculiar 

 metallic color we had observed in some of the gaps of Menschikov is well 

 shown at the gap formed by the spit. 



