FUNAFUTI. 223 



The bottom of the lagoon at our anchorage in Funafuti consisted of 

 fine coral sand and limestone mud, cementing more or less loosely the 

 larger fragments of corals and of shells, which form a very characteristic 

 plaster over the whole bottom of the lagoon wherever we had the oppor- 

 tunity to examine it. 



During our stay at Funafuti we recorded the warmest water we observed 

 during any part of our trip. At noon on the first day of our arrival, the 

 temperature of the water at the bottom of the lagoon, at fifteen fathoms, 

 was 88° and of the air 92^ The next day the temperature of the water 

 varied between 86° and 87°, and at 2 p. m. the day after, the temperature 

 of the water in the lagoon was 89°, while the air was 94°. The temperature 

 of the air on the following Sunday had increased to 104° and that of the 

 water remained at 89° during the day. 



"In 1896^ Funafuti was selected by a committee of the Royal Society as 

 being a typical atoll in which to make deep borings, for the purpose of 

 throwing light upon the geological formation of atolls in general. Attempts 

 were accordingly made, both on the lagoon side, at about a quarter of a mile 

 to the southwestward of the Mission House, and also on the edge of the 

 beach on the seaward side, at about one mile from the western end of the 

 island ; in both cases the borings had to be abandoned, at depths of 100 and 

 70 feet respectively, on account of the sand and boulders that were met 

 with, and the nature of the formation." 



In 1897, however, the attempt was resumed by the New South Wales 

 government, and a depth of 1114 feet was reached (A. Chart 2983, and 

 Pis. 222 ; 224, fig. 1). 



A bore was also driven into the bed of the lagoon from the deck of 

 H. M. S. " Porpoise" (Captain Sturdee) ; it reached a depth of 144 feet in the 

 bed rock of the lagoon, or in all 245 feet below sea level.^ It passed through 

 an upper layer of sand composed mainly of calcareous organisms. Broken 

 pieces of coral became more common in descending, and at the greatest 

 depth attained progress was stopped by hard coral rock, at a depth but little 

 greater than that of the lagoon of many Pacific atolls. The core was placed 

 for examination in the hands of Professor J. W. Judd. 



1 Hydrographic Notice, No. 7, for 1897. 



' T. G. Bonney in " Nature," November 11, 1898. 



