NAERATIVE OF THE SECOND AND THIRD EXPEDITIONS. 51 



return from tlie Gilbert Islands to let us liaAe sufficient coal to keep tlie di'ill going 

 until the arrival of the s.s. " Archer." This promise he was good enough to redeem, 

 though at considerable inconvenience to himself, a short time later. 



The London Missionary Society's steam yacht " John Williams " arrived at Funafuti 

 on September 5th, when the boring had attained a depth of 557 feet. Mr. G. Sweet, 

 in accordance with oiu- previous agreement, now undertook the charge of the work, it 

 being necessary for me to return at once to resume my University duties at Sydney. 

 Captain E. C. Hore, of the "John Williams," expeditiously embarked such portions of 

 the drilling plant as were no longer required, and early on September 7tli the " John 

 Williams " sailed with Messrs. Poole, Woolnough and my Avife and self for 

 Nukulailai. We arrived at Nukulailai on September 8th, and accompanied the 

 Rev. W. E. GowARD ashore, when Mr. Woolnough and I made a hurried traverse 

 and geological examination of the main island. The Nukulailai Lagoon is connected 

 with the ocean only by shallow boat- channels, which are insufficient to lower the level 

 of the lagoon at the same rate as the tide falls outside the reef Consequently the 

 level of the surface of the water of the lagoon is permanently from about 2 to 3 feet 

 above the level of low- water spring-tides. 



We ascertained that at Nukulailai, as at Funafuti, Heliopora ccerulea had been a 

 very important reef former, and found it in large quantities in situ, but dead, upon the 

 ocean platform. It attained a level of about 3 feet above low- water spring-tides, so 

 that at Nukulailai as at Funafuti there is evidence of an elevation of the land, or 

 a downward movement of the ocean, to the extent of perhaps at least 3 feet. From 

 Nukulailai we sailed for Apia, where upon arrival we were most hospitably entertained 

 by the Eev. W. E. and Mrs. Goward, my wife at the time being very ill through a 

 severe attack of pleurisy contracted at Funafuti. From Apia, we proceeded to Leone 

 Bay, Tutuila, and thence to Nine (Savage Island).^ 



Niue has all the appearance of being a raised atoll. We were able to examine part 

 of the coast near the Rev. F. E. Lawes' Mission Station. The island here is 

 distinctly terraced. There are at least three, possibly four, terraces. The topmost 

 is about 200 feet above sea-level, and is distinctly an old coral reef, though the 

 corals have suffered so much from weathering and corrosion as to be difficult of 

 recognition. If we stand on the edge of this terrace it presents the appearance of a 

 slightly raised rim overlooking the plain forming the interior of the island. This 

 plain has all the appearance of having at one time formed the floor of the lagoon of 

 an atoll. This top terrace descends with a steep slope to about 130 feet above sea- 

 level, then there is a more gradual slope to about 80 or 90 feet above sea-level, when 

 a very well-marked second terrace occurs. An examination of this showed that it 

 obviously was considerably newer than the top terrace. Like the latter, it 

 evidently represented an old coral reef, as large reef-forming corals were here very 



* ' Bull. Mus. Comp. Zool., Harvard Univ.,' vol. 33 (1899), p. 79. 



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