54 THE CORAL REEFS OF THE MALDIVES. 



Goifurfehen&u. 



Plat.es 1,8; 8 a, fig. 8 ; 8 b, fig. 10; 19, fig. 2; 20. 



We skirted the eastern extremity of Coifurfehendu 1 as well as the eastern 

 half of its northern face ; this gave us a fair idea of the structure of the 

 atoll. It is elliptical, about ten miles in length and nearly five across its 

 widest part. The atoll is surrounded by a continuous reef flat somewhat 

 wider on the north and east sides than on the southern face ; it has a single 

 pass near the southwest horn. The deepest part of the lagoon is twenty- 

 three fathoms; the average depth is from eighteen to twenty fathoms. The 

 central part of the atoll is clear of dangers. On the eastern part of the 

 northern reef flat of Goifurfehendu are three large islands of which the island 

 of Goidu, at the very eastern point of the atoll and on the widest part 

 of the reef flat, is the largest. The southern extremity of Goidu Island 

 appears to be wasting away, a small adjoining island marked on the chart 

 has disappeared. A narrow sand beach extends along the central part of 

 Goidu parallel with the outer belt of vegetation close to the water's edge. 

 At the northeast point of Goidu the upper part of a steep shingle beach 

 has been driven far into the outer belt of vegetation. On the northern face 

 of Goidu Island the vegetation is not flourishing, and it reaches the water's 

 edge. The eastern face of Goidu Island is steep to close to the edge of the 

 outer insignificant reef flat; in places the surf beats directly upon the beach. 

 The projections of the northern face of Goidu form a large rectangular bay ; 

 the island seems to be increasing in size towards the west. 



The northeastern part of Goifurfehendu atoll is exposed to the full force 

 of the northeast monsoon. On the outer edge of the reef flat are numerous 

 great patches of corals, showing that they grow abundantly on the northern 

 slope of the atoll. On Fehendu, the next island to the west on the wide 

 northern reef flat, the vegetation is fine with many clusters of large trees. 

 Opposite Fehendu the outer reef flat is wide, the island thus appears to 

 be placed well in the middle of it. Inafuri is the westernmost island of 

 Goifurfehendu. 



Gardiner 2 notes the "more purely oceanic conditions of this atoll than 

 any other of the more perfect atolls of small size except Addu " as well as 



1 On Plates 1 and 3 Goifufehendu should be Goifurfehendu. 2 Loc. cit., p. 377. 



