﻿198 
  A. 
  Agassis 
  — 
  Explorations 
  of 
  the 
  "Albatross." 
  

  

  500 
  feet, 
  and 
  slopes 
  in 
  a 
  general 
  way 
  southward 
  and 
  inland. 
  

   The 
  southern 
  shore 
  is 
  deeply 
  indented 
  by 
  bays 
  and 
  sounds, 
  

   and 
  flanked 
  by 
  innumerable 
  islands 
  and 
  islets, 
  some 
  of 
  consider- 
  

   able 
  height 
  (150 
  to 
  250 
  feet) 
  which 
  gradually 
  become 
  smaller 
  

   and 
  smaller 
  as 
  they 
  rise 
  toward 
  the 
  southward 
  and 
  eastward, 
  

   these 
  islands 
  having 
  been 
  formed 
  from 
  the 
  denudation 
  and 
  

   erosion 
  of 
  the 
  greater 
  Vavau. 
  They 
  form 
  tongues 
  of 
  land 
  and 
  

   sea 
  and 
  sounds 
  of 
  all 
  shapes 
  and 
  sizes, 
  showing 
  the 
  traces 
  of 
  

   the 
  former 
  land 
  connections 
  of 
  the 
  islands 
  and 
  islets, 
  and 
  their 
  

   disintegration 
  on 
  the 
  eastward 
  and 
  southward 
  by 
  the 
  action 
  of 
  

   the 
  sea. 
  The 
  islands 
  and 
  islets 
  to 
  the 
  southward 
  of 
  the 
  main 
  

   island 
  rise 
  from 
  more 
  or 
  less 
  extensive 
  reef 
  flats 
  which 
  stud 
  

   the 
  whole 
  plateau, 
  and 
  on 
  which 
  corals 
  grow 
  in 
  great 
  profusion 
  

   (mainly 
  Millepora, 
  Porites, 
  Pavonia, 
  Pocillopora, 
  Fungia, 
  and 
  

   Astrea), 
  to 
  a 
  depth 
  of 
  5 
  to 
  6 
  fathoms 
  in 
  the 
  sounds. 
  In 
  the 
  

   Namuka 
  Group 
  they 
  extended 
  in 
  the 
  more 
  open 
  waters 
  to 
  14 
  

   and 
  16 
  fathoms. 
  

  

  It 
  is 
  evident 
  that 
  in 
  the 
  Tonga 
  Group, 
  which 
  is 
  a 
  very 
  

   extensive 
  area 
  of 
  elevation, 
  the 
  recent 
  corals 
  have 
  played 
  no 
  

   part 
  in 
  the 
  formation 
  of 
  the 
  masses 
  of 
  land 
  and 
  of 
  the 
  plateau 
  

   of 
  the 
  Tonga 
  Ridge, 
  and 
  that 
  here 
  again, 
  as 
  in 
  the 
  Society 
  

   Islands 
  and 
  the 
  Cook 
  Islands, 
  both 
  also 
  in 
  areas 
  of 
  elevation, 
  

   they 
  are 
  a 
  mere 
  thin 
  living 
  shell 
  or 
  crust 
  growing 
  at 
  their 
  

   characteristic 
  depths 
  upon 
  platforms 
  which 
  in 
  the 
  one 
  case 
  are 
  

   volcanic, 
  in 
  the 
  other 
  calcareous, 
  the 
  formation 
  of 
  which 
  has 
  

   been 
  independent 
  of 
  their 
  growth. 
  

  

  We 
  expect 
  to 
  leave 
  for 
  the 
  Ellice, 
  Gilbert, 
  and 
  Marshall 
  

   Islands 
  as 
  soon 
  as 
  we 
  can 
  coal 
  and 
  rent. 
  

  

  