REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHPJRIES. 158 



government of native chiefs, bat under the protection of Great Britain. 

 There are white and Chinese traders on a number of the islands, and 

 at Butaritari there is a little colony of whites, mostly Germans. 



Between Taritari and Jaluit soundings were made at intervals of 

 about 50 miles, which indicated a remarkable uniformity of depth of 

 between :3,411 and 2,505 fathoms, and at a point 5 miles off the south 

 point of Jaluit atoll 1,937 fathoms was found. Jaluit was reached 

 on January 9, and after a stay of live dajs, spent in coaling, the expe- 

 dition left for a cruise through the Marshall Archipelago, the course 

 being through the Ralick chain as far as Rongelab and thence back 

 to Jaluit via the Ratack chain. The following atolls were visited in 

 order: Jaluit, Elmore, Namu, Kwajalong, Rongelab, Likieb, Wotje, 

 'and Arhno, stops being made at the last four and at Jaluit. 



Twenty-six soundings were made during the exploration of the 

 Marshalls, which indicate that the islands rise rather abruptly from 

 a depth of 2,000 to 2,600 fathoms. A depth somewhat less is found 

 between some of the atolls, but in general the soundings do not indi- 

 cate the existence of the two extended ridges from which the Ratack 

 and Ralick chains have been supposed to arise. The Marshall Islands 

 are nearly all atolls of considerable size, Kwajalong having a length 

 of about 65 miles, and all of the others visited except Arhno being 30 

 miles or more on their longest diameter. With hardly an exception 

 their rims are composed principally of reefs awash or but slightly 

 submerged, making them dangerous objects to approach at night or 

 in heavy rains. The islets on the reefs are almost invariably small 

 and in some cases are ranged in a double series, one near the outer 

 and the other near the inner edges of the reef. The studies of the 

 Marshalls, Gilberts, and Ellice islands on the one hand and of the 

 Paumotus on the other supplemented one another in a very satisfac- 

 tory manner, the former furnishing data concerning the action of the 

 formative agencies producing the several varieties of land masses and 

 the latter exhibiting the characters of the substructure upon which 

 the islets rest. The dynamic studies in the Marshalls and Gilberts are 

 doubtless of general application, but the character of the underlying 

 formations in these groups can not be predicated from the knowledge 

 gained in the Paumotus. The Carolines may in a measure serve as a 

 guide, but the differences between the Society and Paumotus islands, 

 which are even more intimately associated geographically than are 

 the Carolines and Marshalls, induce caution in drawing conclusions 

 based on relations of propinquity. 



There are ship passes and anchorages in most of the lagoons, but 

 as they are more or less studded with coral patches it is dangerous to 

 enter them except in bright weather. The Albatross was detained 

 over three days at Arhno Atoll on account of heavy rains and overcast 

 skies, which made crossing the lagoon hazardous. Considerable rain 

 was met with in the Marshalls, which appear to have a moister climate 

 than most of the low islands. 



