DESCRIPTION OF SMALL ISLANDS OF THE ATOLL. 105 



The liigoou platform at the southern end, like that at Foiigafele, is composed chiefly of lldinptmi with 

 sheets of the bivalve Chama imbricala, some of which are living. The massive Pariies blocks are here also 

 quite absent on the very wide portions of the platform. At the northern end this platform l^ecomes quite 

 narrow. At a few places on this side of the island there is a decided Hurricane Bank, but generally it 

 attains only 2 or 3 feet in height, and sometimes even less, though here and there the sandy soil is 

 intermixed with much small and a little large coral. Near its junction with the cliidver field arc 

 occasionally to be found areas of solution, though these are hy no means so common as on some of the 

 islands ; one in which the water rises at high tide, surrounded by bushes, is situated a short distance 

 north of the village. The height of the land at the village near some of the dwellings is only 2 to 3 feet 

 above high-water level. 



On the ocean side, which is about the normal width for this side. Pontes occurs, apparently in situ, well 

 out on the platform and near the outer edge of the smooth zone. The corrosion of the breccia along 

 this island has in many parts operated with marked effect, while this and the erosion of the breccia sheet 

 has in the southern part produced a series of headlands and bays which succeed each other every few 

 yards. The headlands project out some 4 or 5 yards beyond the general line of breccia in cliffs against 

 which the; waves strike and thus, dividing to right and left, increase the momentum of the waters 

 which flow between and dash with increased force against the inner line of breccia, while the beach iMhris 

 between the projections is carried forwards and backwards, eroding the breccia here into a smooth zone, 

 and rounding the coral fragments into pebbles and sand. This action continuing, extends to right and 

 left, till ultimately the headlands or projections become separated from the main breccia sheet and stand 

 out as separate breccia masses beyond the general line of breccia cliffs. 



The Hurricane Bank along this island is generally below the normal height of the Hurricane Banks and 

 is not nearly so high as was that at the western part of Telele, while its inner or landward portion or 

 clinker field varies considerably both in width and character. At some places it is rugged and clinkery, 

 •with solution pits or holes below or between its masses, the cocoanut trees thriving in such areas. At 

 other places it is even and sandy or with but little more than small and fragmentary material, and usually 

 rising under such conditions to a less height than it attains Avhen it is mostly formed of the larger 

 material. The occurrence of the larger lumps of coral and breccia near the lagoon side in some parts of 

 the island where it is sometimes embedded in sand, suggests that the high seas have shifted them from 

 the Hurricane Bank or clinker field and deposited them here, while it probably drove some farther on 

 into the lagoon and so lowered the Hurricane Bank there. This may have occurred recently on a smaller 

 scale, particularly in one place, in the northern part of the island, where the Hurricane Bank seems to be 

 driven back and on to the lagoon side. As on this side also a small Hurricane Bank of similar rubble 

 (not otherwise common) occurs near here, I think it is highly probable that some of the rubble from the 

 ocean Hurricane Bank and clinker field was carried over the island and into the lagoon, and afterwards 

 some of it was driven back on to the island as a lagoon Hurricane Bank. 



The presence of the pumice pebbles with cakes of matted roots 2 feet from the summit of the higher 

 Hurricane Banks is proof of its having been deposited on the ocean side here also ; and of its being 

 driven back — while the fact that it is absent from the low Hurricane Banks suggests that it has been 

 altogether removed from these places. 



MAFOLA. 



This islet (Plate 6), in size, position, and class of material soiiiewhat resembles Tefota, It is very small 

 and occurs between two normal islands, and rests upon the breccia which is being eroded on either side 

 of it. All around it the waves have eroded a channel over and through the breccia sheet when near high 

 tide ; it is protected by the corrosion zone oceanwards, and like Tefota is an outlier and forms the centre 

 of the once connecting land between what is now two islands, one on either side of it. In this lies its chief 



P 



