202 



Anniversary Meeting. 



following particulars : — The borehole is, roughly speaking, rather 

 over 100 yards from the margin of the ocean, and about 165 

 yards from that of the lagoon ; it is about 240 yards from 

 the spot where a sounding of 10 fathoms was obtained, nearly 

 400 yards from a 36-fathom sounding, and rather more than a 

 quarter of a mile from one of 130 fathoms. After this the sub- 

 marine slope, for a considerable depth, is not quite so steep. He 

 also states that, at Funafuti, the vigorous growing portion of the 

 reef appeared to be limited to within about 40 feet of the surface. 



It would be premature, as Professor David remarks, to express an 

 opinion as to the theoretical bearing of these results until the core 

 has been thoroughly studied. But two things seem clear, (1) that 

 true reef has been pierced at depths down to more than 600 feet, 

 and (2) that throughout the whole of the time represented by the 

 mass which has now been tested, coral must have grown in great 

 abundance in some part or other of the locality now represented by 

 Funafuti; for the atoll, it must be remembered, is surrounded by 

 water about 2,000 fathoms deep, what would completely isolate it 

 from any other coralliferous locality. 



November 30, 1897, 



Anniversary Meeting. 



The LORD LISTER, F.R.C.S., D.C.L., President, in the Chair. 



A full Report of the Anniversary Meeting, with the President's 

 Address and Report of Council, will be found in the ' Year-book ' for 

 1897-8. 



The Account of the Appropriation of the Donation Fund and of 

 the Government Grant will also be found in the ' Year-book.' 



