120 "ALBATROSS" TROPICAL PACIFIC EXPEDITION. 



Pinaki. 



Plates 79.-75, Wl, 203; 206, fig. 3; 236. 



Pinaki is historically a most interesting atoll. It was discovered by 

 Captain Wallis in 1767. It encloses a shallow lagoon, and is about one and 

 a half miles in diameter ; the greatest height of the land rim is from six to 

 nine feet. It is surrounded by a wide reef platform which follows the out- 

 line of the island. There is on the southern side a narrow entrance into the 

 lagoon, but it is too shallow for boats to enter even in a smooth sea (PI. 

 206, fig. 3). The vegetation of the land rim consists principally of bananas 

 and cocoanuts, which have displaced the Poukas and Pandanus. 



Pinaki, as seen coming from Nukutavake, appears like a high unbroken 

 sand beach (PI. 73). On nearer examination we found the sand beach 

 topped with coral shingle, and that a ledge of beach rock cropped out 

 occasionally at the foot of the beach, encroaching somewhat upon its face. 

 The beach rock covers in part the old ledge which crops out on the wide 

 reef flats and in the gap leading into the lagoon (Pis. 72 ; 206, fig. 3). 

 To the west of the entrance gap the beach consists of alternating reaches of 

 fine coral sand or coral shingle rising to a height of six to seven feet (PI. 

 72, figs. 1, 2). The land rim is well wooded, and inside of the outer belt 

 of bushes grow numerous Pandanus and tall Pouka trees, with here and 

 there groves of bananas and cocoanuts (PI. 73). 



The wide reef platform is deeply indented with large gullies and 

 edged with Nullipore knolls (PI. 73, fig. 1). The reef flat slopes very 

 gradually from the base of the beach, the top of which is covered with 

 verdure, with a narrow belt of gray coral shingle between it and the cream- 

 colored coral sand beach. On the east face the beach or land rim is in great 

 part formed of high sand dunes, similar to those we saw at Nukutavake, 

 killing the Pandanus and the vegetation of that face of the lagoon by 

 encroaching gradually upon the land rim (Pis. 73, fig. 3 ; 206, fig. 3). On 

 a part of the .atoll on the west side the high shingle beach abuts upon a 

 wide reef flat where an incipient barrier reef is formed on the outer edge of 

 the reef platform (PL 72, fig. 1) by a ledge of beach rock covering in part 

 the old ledge. 



