SUVADIVA. 141 



small or a narrow rim as a reef flat. The southern islands in the basin of 

 Suvadiva, like those to the west of Gan and in the northern part of the atoll, 

 are covered with luxuriant vegetation. The trees form great clumps, reach- 

 ing close to the top of the steep sand beaches; as a rule, but few cocoanuts 

 grow on the islands. Hanlus and Labadu are excellent examples of Suva- 

 diva lagoon vegetation. 



Corals were growing in great profusion on the edge and part of the 

 flats of the banks we passed, forming spits in the direction of the stronger 

 of the prevailing winds. On the southern face of Suvadiva a number 

 of crescent-shaped banks have been formed with crescentic islands ; they 

 resemble the more irregular faros of the northern groups. Where strong- 

 currents exist, as through the channel between Gan and Wadu, the corals 

 have grown in spits and form the crescent-shaped banks of the southern 

 face of Suvadiva. 



Matoda is one of the larger crescent-shaped islands on the western ex- 

 tremity of one of the southern reef flats. They have probably been formed 

 by the coalescence of adjacent patches growing parallel to the lagoon face of 

 the reef flat. On the western face the coral patches have formed small 

 bays, eventually uniting the eastern extremities of the islands and islets 

 on the outer edges of the reef flats. 1 



At a depth of nine fathoms in the pass to the north of Wegeli, we 

 could plainly see the bottom covered with patches of masses of corals. 

 To the north, the islands of the east face are well clothed with luxuriant 

 vegetation, some of the trees being of considerable size. The lagoon faces 

 of the reef flats we examined slope very gradually. The boulder belt is 

 specially developed on the east face of the reef flat of Funadu, and to the 

 south of the northern spit of the island. At Digura the boulder belt forms 

 an incipient dam on the outer edge of the reef flat; within that patches of 

 recent elevated reef rock, pitted and honeycombed, stand out at a somewhat 

 higher level than the surrounding reef flat. Stretches of beach rock 

 extend along the base of the sea beaches of many of the islands on the 

 east face of Suvadiva to the north of Funadu. 



1 Mr. Gardiner considers these patches to be remnants of the breaking up of a long line of reef. 

 Loc. cit., p. 413. 



