8 THE CORAL REEFS OF THE MALDIVES. 



separated from the northern Maldives by a channel with not over ten hun- 

 dred and seventy-two fathoms, — depths not greater than those between 

 Haddummati and Suvadiva, or Suvadiva and Addu. From what has been 

 stated of the relation between Minikoi and the northern Maldives, it belongs 

 geographically rather to them than to the Laccadives. 



The atoll of Minikoi is somewhat triangular, about five miles long, of 

 a greatest width of about three miles. The eastern face of the atoll is 

 flanked by a long narrow island ; there is no other land on the outer reef 

 flat except a small island (Small-pox Island) on the southern part of its west 

 face. At the northern apex of the atoll, a passage with from ten to twelve 

 feet of water leads into a lagoon with a greatest depth of seven fathoms. 

 The western and southern sides of the lagoon are flanked by a wide shallow 

 reef flat full of coral heads in the southern part, with a few small shallow 

 banks in the central part of the atoll. Minikoi rises quite abruptly from 

 a depth of about one thousand fathoms. 



The northern Maldives are within the limits of the* northeast and south- 

 west monsoons ; at the Equatorial Channel, however, the prevailing winds 

 from May to December are westerly and southerly winds ; the northeast 

 monsoon reaches the Equator and even beyond it during January, Febru- 

 ary, and March. Addu is in the region of the variable winds beyond the 

 influence of the monsoons. 



The southwest monsoon blows with greater strength than the northeast, 

 and it is interesting to trace the modifications brought about by these op- 

 posite winds on the faces of the islands exposed to their action. One can 

 trace on the west coasts the action of the southwest monsoon with its 

 eastern lee, while during the northeast monsoons the eastern face becomes 

 the windward face. The position of an island, lagoon reef, faro, or ring in 

 the interior of a group also greatly modifies the action of either of the mon- 

 soons upon its shores, according to the range they may have, due to the 

 trend of the island or of the group. Thus a great number of combinations 

 are formed in position and in time, all having more or less influence upon a 

 given area. They give us generally simple causes to account for the wast- 

 ing of an island or for its increase, for the existence of coral sand or of 

 shingle beaches, or for the presence of reaches or of belts of boulders, for 



