PONAPT. 343 



with a shore belt of mangrove islands and islets, but it does not attain 

 the great width of the mangrove belt on the southeastern coast of Kusaie, 

 as will be seen by a comparison of the charts (Pis. 229 ; 230). The outer 

 edge of the barrier reef flat surrounding Ponapi carries but few insignifi- 

 cant islands and islets, covered with an exceedingly scanty vegetation 

 (Pis. 188 ; 189, figs. 1-3), in striking contrast to the vegetation which 

 thrives on the islands thrown up on the outer barrier reef of Kusaie. 



Near the eastern and western side of Kiti Harbor one can see how 

 the volcanic sand brought down from the hill slopes is gradually filling 

 the great barrier reef lagoon flat, and how mangrove islets extend out 

 towards the barrier reef and may finally bring about a condition of 

 things very similar to that existing on the south shore of Kusaie, both 

 to the west and to the east of Lottin Harbor. The reef harbors are 

 more numerous in Ponapi than in Kusaie (compare PI. 230 to 229), 

 but they are small and can hardly shelter vessels of any size. During 

 the prevalence of the trades it is somewhat dangerous to enter such 

 narrow harbors as that of Metalaniin (PI. 188, fig. 2), or of Jamestown 

 (Jekoits), mere openings in the reef less than one fourth of a mile in 

 width. A heavy swell breaks across the openings leading into inner 

 channels generally obstructed by bars and shoals and flats, the position 

 of which it is difficult to ascertain except under favorable conditions 

 of tide and light. 



We made Ponapi ^ at a point a little to the south of Metalanim Harbor, 

 with Narpoli Island rising to the north on the wide reef flat flanking 

 the southern entrance of that harbor. The sugar loaf Mount Takain, 

 on the northern side of Metalanim, is one of the best examples of the 

 extent of the erosion to which the volcanic rocks of Ponapi have been 

 subjected.^ The island of Narpoli is volcanic, as well as other islands 

 on the wide reef flat to the south of the entrance of Metalanim Harbor. 

 The sea face of some of these islands is covered with fine coral sand 

 beaches and few coral boulders. The islands and islets near Metalanim 

 are well wooded. On the wide reef flat to the north of the entrance 



1 H. O. Chart 425 ; A. Chart 981. 



^ Basalt V. der lusel Pouapi, A. Wicliman, Jour. d. Mus. Godeffroy, Heft VIII., p. 123. 



