THE TROPICAL PACIFIC 361 



the natives of a place like this, I should say, Bosh ! 

 That kind of talk always reminds me of commentaries 

 on Latin and Greek classics, written in the glare of 

 electric lights and other modern accompaniments. ,, 



On board the Albatross, off Tahanea, October 16, 

 1899. " The bad weather did not last very long at Fakarava 

 and we were able to put in two excellent days in and on 

 the lagoon. I had a fine chance to look at the greater 

 part of the island under the lee of which we were an- 

 chored, both on the lagoon and on the sea face. The 

 sea face was wonderfully rich in invertebrates, so we 

 made a fine collection of shore things, some of them 

 very interesting, in addition to studying the conditions 

 of the shore for the coral reef problem. 



To-day when off Tahanea we had a most interesting 

 time. This lagoon presents features quite different from 

 other lagoons. I never have read of any such structures 

 as I have seen ; we made no end of photographs, backing 

 and filling to get good views so that Mayer and Wood- 

 worth were kept going at a canter. We must have so 

 far at least two hundred views from which to select, and 

 my notes are being filled out fast. If we could have had 

 only a good survey of these islands, how much simpler 

 it would have been to explain matters." 



Makemo, October 20. " We arrived here yesterday 

 noon, and are here awaiting the Southern Cross with 

 our coal. She was to be here yesterday or to-day, but 

 thus far no signs of her. Since leaving Fakarava we 

 have had most interesting visits to the atolls on the 

 northeast side of Paumotu : Takume, and Raroia, which 

 are slightly different from the others. The weather has 

 continued superb until last night when it has set in 



