﻿Agassiz 
  — 
  Explorations 
  of 
  the 
  " 
  Albatross" 
  109 
  

  

  Akt. 
  IX. 
  — 
  Explorations 
  of 
  the 
  "Albatross" 
  in 
  the 
  Pacific. 
  

   II. 
  The 
  Paumotns; 
  by 
  Alexander 
  Agassiz. 
  

  

  [Letter 
  No. 
  2, 
  dated 
  Papeete 
  Harbor, 
  Tahiti 
  Island, 
  November 
  6, 
  1899, 
  to 
  Hon. 
  

   Geooge 
  M. 
  Bowers, 
  U. 
  S. 
  Commissioner 
  of 
  Fish 
  aud 
  Fisheries, 
  Washington, 
  D. 
  C, 
  

   by 
  Alexander 
  Agassiz.] 
  

  

  During 
  our 
  stay 
  in 
  Papeete 
  some 
  time 
  was 
  spent 
  in 
  exam- 
  

   ining 
  that 
  part 
  of 
  the 
  barrier 
  reef 
  of 
  Tahiti 
  which 
  had 
  been 
  

   surveyed 
  by 
  the 
  Challenger. 
  We 
  found 
  the 
  condition 
  of 
  the 
  

   outer 
  slope 
  of 
  the 
  reef 
  quite 
  different 
  from 
  its 
  description 
  as 
  

   given 
  in 
  the 
  Challenger 
  narrative. 
  The 
  growing 
  corals 
  were 
  

   comparatively 
  few 
  in 
  number, 
  and 
  the 
  outer 
  slope 
  showed 
  

   nothing 
  but 
  a 
  mass 
  of 
  dead 
  corals 
  and 
  dead 
  coral 
  bowlders 
  

   beyond 
  16 
  or 
  IT 
  fathoms, 
  few 
  living 
  corals 
  being 
  observed 
  

   beyond 
  10 
  to 
  12 
  fathoms. 
  

  

  We 
  also 
  made 
  an 
  expedition 
  to 
  Point 
  Yenus, 
  to 
  determine, 
  

   if 
  possible, 
  the 
  rate 
  of 
  growth 
  of 
  the 
  corals 
  on 
  Dolphin 
  Bank 
  

   from 
  the 
  marks 
  which 
  had 
  been 
  placed 
  on 
  Point 
  Yenus 
  by 
  

   Wilkes, 
  in 
  1839, 
  and 
  by 
  MM. 
  Le 
  Clerk 
  and 
  de 
  Benaze, 
  of 
  the 
  

   French 
  navy, 
  in 
  1869. 
  We 
  found 
  the 
  stones 
  and 
  marks 
  as 
  

   described, 
  but 
  in 
  view 
  of 
  the 
  nature 
  and 
  condition 
  of 
  Dolphin 
  

   Bank, 
  did 
  not 
  think 
  it 
  worth 
  while 
  to 
  make 
  a 
  careful 
  survey, 
  

   as 
  Captain 
  Moser 
  had 
  intended 
  to 
  do. 
  On 
  examining 
  Dolphin 
  

   Bank 
  in 
  the 
  steam 
  launch 
  I 
  was 
  greatly 
  surprised 
  to 
  find 
  that 
  

   there 
  were 
  but 
  few 
  corals 
  growing 
  on 
  it. 
  I 
  could 
  see 
  nothing 
  

   but 
  sparsely 
  scattered 
  heads, 
  none 
  larger 
  than 
  my 
  fist 
  ! 
  the 
  

   top 
  of 
  the 
  bank 
  being 
  entirely 
  covered 
  by 
  Nulli 
  pores. 
  We 
  

   sounded 
  across 
  the 
  bank 
  in 
  all 
  possible 
  directions 
  and 
  examined 
  

   it 
  thoroughly, 
  and 
  at 
  the 
  stage 
  of 
  water 
  at 
  which 
  we 
  sounded, 
  

   found 
  about 
  18 
  inches 
  difference 
  from 
  the 
  soundings 
  indicated 
  

   by 
  the 
  charts. 
  It 
  is 
  also 
  greatly 
  to 
  be 
  regretted 
  that 
  Dolphin 
  

   Bank 
  was 
  not 
  examined, 
  neither 
  in 
  1839 
  nor 
  in 
  1869, 
  and 
  notes 
  

   made 
  of 
  what 
  species 
  of 
  corals, 
  if 
  any, 
  were 
  growing 
  on 
  its 
  

   surface 
  ; 
  for 
  an 
  excellent 
  opportunity 
  has 
  been 
  lost 
  to 
  deter- 
  

   mine 
  the 
  growth 
  of 
  corals 
  during 
  a 
  period 
  of 
  60 
  years. 
  The 
  

   choice 
  of 
  this 
  bank 
  as 
  a 
  standard 
  to 
  determine 
  the 
  growth 
  of 
  

   corals 
  was 
  unfortunate, 
  as 
  it 
  is 
  in 
  the 
  midst 
  of 
  an 
  area 
  com- 
  

   paratively 
  free 
  from 
  corals. 
  

  

  After 
  refitting 
  and 
  coaling 
  here, 
  we 
  left 
  on 
  the 
  5th 
  October 
  

   for 
  a 
  cruise 
  in 
  the 
  Paumotus. 
  

  

  We 
  steamed 
  for 
  Makatea, 
  which 
  we 
  had 
  visited 
  on 
  our 
  way 
  

   to 
  Tahiti, 
  and 
  not 
  only 
  examined 
  the 
  island 
  more 
  in 
  detail, 
  but 
  

   took 
  a 
  number 
  of 
  photographs 
  of 
  the 
  cliffs 
  of 
  the 
  east 
  side, 
  

   which, 
  on 
  our 
  first 
  trip, 
  we 
  passed 
  late 
  in 
  the 
  afternoon. 
  We 
  

   crossed 
  the 
  island 
  from 
  west 
  to 
  east, 
  the 
  path 
  leading 
  down 
  

   from 
  the 
  summit 
  of 
  the 
  cliffs 
  bordering 
  the 
  island 
  into 
  a 
  sink 
  

  

  