Changes of Level in the Pacific Ocean. 257 



Nukonono, or Duke of Clarence, near Fakaafo, was seen 

 only from shipboard. 



Oatafu, or Duke of York's, is in some parts fourteen feet 

 high. Elevation two or three feet. 



Enderby's and Birnie's, still farther north, are twelve feet 

 high. Judging from the double slope of the beach on En- 

 derby, this island may have undergone an elevation of two 

 feet, the height of the upper slope ; yet we think it doubtful. 



Gardner s, Hull, Sydney, and Newmarket, were visited by 

 the Expedition, but no satisfactory evidences of elevation on 

 the first three were observed. The last is stated by Captain 

 Wilkes to be twenty-five feet in height. 



h. Feejee Islands. — The proofs of an elevation of four 

 to six feet about the larger Feejee Islands, Viti Lebu and 

 Vanua Lebu, and also Ovalau, are given in our report on 

 this group. How far this rise affected other parts of the 

 group, I have been unable definitely to determine ; but as the 

 extensive barrier reefs in the eastern part of the group rarely 

 support a green islet, they rather indicate a subsidence in 

 those parts than an elevation. 



i. Islands north of the Feejees. — Home Island, Wallis, 

 Ellice, Depeyster, and four islands on the track towards the 

 Kingsmills, were passed by the Peacock ; but from the vessel 

 no evidences of elevation could be distinguished. The first 

 two are high islands, with barriers, and the others are low 

 coral. Rotuma (177° 15' E., and 12° 30' N.), is another high 

 island, to the west of Wallis's. It has encircling reefs, but 

 we know nothing as to its changes of level. 



h. Sandwich Islands. — Oahu affords decided proof of an 

 elevation of twenty-five or thirty feet. There is an impres- 

 sion afc Honolulu, derived from a supposed increasing height 

 in the reef off the harbour, that the island is slowly rising. 

 Upon this point I can offer nothing decisive. The present 

 height of the reef is not sufficiently above the level to which 

 it might be raised by the tides, to render it certain, from this 

 kind of evidence, that the suspected elevation is in progress. 



Kauai presents us with no evidence that the island, at the 

 present time, is at a higher level than when the coral reefs 

 begun ; or at the most, no elevation is indicated beyond a 



VOL. LV. NO. CX. — OCTOBER 1853. 11 



