EQUATORIAL POLYNESIA. 



467 



(Inui) to the Marquesas group, all separated one from the other by profound 

 chasms, with a mean depth of 2,000 fathoms. The first and least clearly defined 

 of these ridges is attached to the north-east angle of the Tonga Archijoelago im- 

 mediately to the east of the deepest trough yet measured in the southern waters, 

 where the Egeria recorded 4,500 fathoms in 1888.* Mue is the only inhabitable 

 land presented by this first chain, which has nevertheless a total length of 1,800 

 miles. The other prominences along this line are mere rocks, reefs, shoals, or 

 sandbanks, all terminating in the islet of Maria Theresa, which rises amid deep 

 waters at the south-east extremity of the submarine bank. 



On the other hand the second parallel range is marked by a large number of 



Fig. 202. — Trend of the Polynesian Islands. 

 Scale 1 : 90,000,000. 



Depths, 



{ZD 



to 1,000 

 Fathoms. 



1,000 Fathoms 

 and upwards. 



1,800 Miles. 



upraised lands, beginning in the north-west with Samoa, one member of which is 

 the largest in Polynesia. Then follow the little Palmerston and Cook clusters, 

 the whole terminating with the more scattered Tubuai Archipelago. The third 

 line, less regular in its general disposition, but still clearly traced by the sub- 

 marine soundings, runs from the Tokelau group through Pukapuka and Suvarov to 

 the Society Islands, Beyond this point a few islets, usually assigned to the Tuamotu 

 Archipelago, might be equally well regarded as belonging to the same system as 

 the Tahiti (Society) group. Although isolated by abysmal depths, such as those 

 of Hilgard and Miller, west and east, the Phœnix cluster is disposed in the same 

 direction as Tahiti, as are also the Penrhyn Islands (Manahiki) forming the north- 

 west extremity of the fourth range. This range, running south-east through the 

 main axis of Tuamotu, curves slightly round so as to present its convex side to the 

 equator. To the same range belong Pitcairn and Easter, as well as Sala y Gomez, 



* In 24° 37 ' S. lat. ; 175° 8 ' E. long. 



