36 THE CORAL REEFS OF THE MALDIVES. 



The rings of the inner parts of North Male and some of the islands on 

 the outer rims are all built of sand, as has also been observed by Mr. 

 Gardiner. But on many of the outer islands remnants of elevated reef rock 

 are found forming the base behind which the sandy growths of the islands 

 have been piled up since the slight elevation of the Maldives took place. 



Mr. Gardiner considers North and South Male to be in a very stable con- 

 dition. 1 On North and South Male as well as Mulaku there is comparatively 

 little land on the east side and still less on the west side of these atolls 

 (Pis. 3, 4, 5). 



The character of the faros which follow in rapid succession on the south- 

 east face of North Male varies but slightly. They differ in size, in the 

 width of the reef flats, in the size and depth of the lagoons, in the number 

 and dimensions of the islands on the faro rims, and in their position with 

 reference to the sea or inner face (PI. 4). 



The east point of North Male is formed by the northern part of the wide 

 outer flats of an elongated faro about seven miles in length and two at its 

 greatest width. The inner rim of the faro is quite narrow ; at its southern 

 extremity are found three small islands and a small secondary lagoon enclosed 

 in a sharp spit forming the north side of the deep pass, with from twenty to 

 twenty-seven fathoms, separating this faro from the one immediately to the 

 south of it. Mirufuri and Difuri are two small islands on the northern 

 parts of the east face of this eastern faro. The soundings in the lagoon of 

 the faro vary from four to seven fathoms (PI. 4). 



Tulusdu, the island on the northeastern face of the next faro, is close to 

 the pass ; the deepest part of the lagoon of the faro is near the northern 

 extremity. The rim of the faro is nearly of uniform width on the two faces 

 except at the northern and the southern points of the faro where the flat is 

 flanked by a wooded island (PI. 4). 



The outer edge of the faros on the southeast face of North Male are all 

 flanked by lines of coral boulders or small horse heads of modern reef rock. 

 The lagoon reef to the south of Tulusdu faro is marked by the small size of 

 its lagoon and the central position of the principal island of the faro flats. 

 Imma, the larger faro to the south, is a wide reef flat covered with from one 



1 hoc. cit., pp. 402, 403. 



