98 "ALBATEOSS" TROPICAL PACIFIC EXPEDITION. 



Taenga. 



Plates mi, SOS. 



Taenga is triangular in shape, about ten miles long and five at its 

 greatest width.* The land rim is situated mainly on the faces of the 

 northern extremity of the atoll. The whole eastern end of the northeastern 

 and southern faces consists of low reef flats, bare at low water. There is a 

 narrow passage for small vessels on the southwest side of the atoll. 



As we steamed westward along the greater part of the northeast shore of 

 Taenga, we skirted along the face of a large island which occupied the north- 

 western horn of the atoll. At the eastern and southern extremities the 

 islands are separated by wide gaps, and their shores flanked by high coral 

 sand beaches, with many reaches of huge boulders. 



The shore of Taenga to the east of the northwestern point is low and 

 lined with huge boulders of beach rock. There is no coral shingle at this 

 point, and on the islands of that part of the land rim the old ledge is hidden 

 by modern beach rock. The reef platform where the old ledge is exposed is 

 quite narrow, and is covered with red Pocillipores and pink and orange 

 Nullipores. As far as we could see into the lagoon there are no islets to the 

 south, but on the western face there are a few. 



At the southwest end of the lagoon the land rim is very low and narrow, 

 and at the southwest point passes into a rocky promontory, with masses 

 of large boulders piled upon the inner edge of the platform. On the west 

 face of the lagoon the island forming the northwest point is unusually wdde, 

 fully 1200 to 1500 feet, as shown by the long gap cut across the island ; this 

 cut must be quite deep, judging from the color of the water, and must be an 

 excellent boat passage. It is edged on the sea face for quite a distance in 

 towards the lagoon by a high coral shingle beach. 



The boulders of the beach rock ledge are more or less loosely cemented 

 together, and some of them near the base of the beach are still connected 

 with the underlying beach rock ledge. 



On a part of the west face of the atoll an extensive sand bar runs behind 

 the low shingle and boulder bars of the reef flat. The islands and islets on 



^ Depot des cartes et plans de la marine, 1716. 



