334 CORALS AND CORAL ISLANDS. 



Expedition, and from the vessel we observed that the rim of 

 land consisted for miles of an even wall of coral rock, appar- 

 ently six or eight feet above high tide. This wall was broken 

 into rude columns, or excavated with arches and caverns ; in 

 some places the sea had carried it away from fifty to one hun- 

 dred rods, and then there followed again a line of columns, 

 and walls, with occasional arches as before. The reef, for- 

 merly lying at the level of low tide, had been raised above the 

 sea, and subsequently had undergone degradation from the 

 waves. The standing columns had some resemblance in cer- 

 tain parts to the masses seen here and there on the shore plat- 

 forms of other islands ; but the latter are only distantly scat- 

 tered masses, while on this island, for the greater part of the 

 course, there were long walls of reef-rock. The height, more- 

 over, was greater, and they occurred too on the leeward side 

 of the island, ranging along nearly its whole course, while the 

 north side, according to the map, is wooded throughout. 



The elevation here indicated is at least six feet; but it 

 may have been larger ; the observations were made from ship- 

 board. 



Thirty miles to the southward of Dean's Island, we came 

 to Metia, one of the most remarkable examples of elevation in 

 the Pacific. 



Metia. — This island has already been described, and its el- 

 evation stated at two hundred and fifty feet. (See page 193.) 



Clermont Tonnerre shows the same evidence of elevation 

 from Tridacnas, as Honden Island. Clermont Tonnerre and 

 Honden are on the northeastern limits of the Paumotus. 



Elizabeth Island was early shown to be an elevated coral 

 island by Beechey. This distinguished voyager represents 

 it as .having perpendicular cliffs over fifty feet in height. 

 From his description it is obviously like Metia ; the elevation 



