220 "ALBATEOSS" TROPICAL PACIFIC EXPEDITION. 



it is composed of loose coral shingle or of beach rock or coral breccia or 

 conglomerate, the surface of which has been weathered and pitted and 

 honeycombed. In addition huge boulders are scattered upon its face, and 

 a mass of finer coral shingle, more or less disintegrated, has been deposited 

 on the inland slope between the base of the cocoanut trees. The sink 

 between the lagoon and outer I'idges is evidently flooded during the rainy 

 season, and is left bare during the dry season. The bottom of the sink is 

 covered with loose blocks and small pieces of coral rock similar to those 

 of the sea beach, while in other places it is composed of coralliferous 

 mud, which has evidently been washed down from the side dams during 

 the rainy season. 



On the eastern sea face of the island of Funafuti, we saw everywhere 

 evidences of an elevation varying from eighteen inches to three or four feet, 

 judging from the position of the buttresses of beach rock and conglomerate 

 which characterized that side of the island. 



Elevated coral breccia or conglomerate, such as is found at Funafuti, also 

 occurs in many of the Paumotus, where it has been elevated simultaneously 

 with the old tertiary coralliferous reef rock. At other points the old reef 

 rock is not visible, having been overwhelmed with the mass of beach rock or 

 coral breccia and conglomerate which has been formed between the outliers 

 of the old tertiary reef rock. On the east face of Amatuku (PI. 134) the 

 elevated conglomerate and breccia rock is well seen ; it extends as a flat 

 on the sea face of the island about two feet above high-water mark; it is 

 pitted and honeycombed and greatly eroded. The lowest point reached by 

 erosion shows no trace of the old ledge, but fi'agments of it form a part of 

 the conglomerate and coral breccia rock. We have, however, been unable 

 to satisf}' ourselves of its origin. Huge beach rock or breccia or conglomerate 

 slabs connect the northern part of Tengako (PI. 135, fig. 1) and the island 

 of Amatuku as well as the little sand islet on the lagoon side of the breccia 

 exposures. Making up the conglomerate and breccia, were fragments of 

 worn corals united together in a sort of puddingstone. The spaces between 

 them were filled in with smaller material like amygdules. Sometimes this 

 puddingstone was exceedingly hard, at others quite soft and friable, or, 

 again, it was calcified and rang to the hammer like fragments of the old 



