KOLUMADULU. 125 



of the Maldive groups, or a long stationary period, during which the faros 

 and atolls of the Maldives have grown to their present condition from the 

 underlying plateau and its secondary elevations. 



We examined the south and west faces of Kolumadulu from Kimbudu, 

 one of the easternmost islands on the wide curved reef flat of the faro 

 which forms the south face of Kolumadulu and a part of its western face. 

 The lagoon of this faro extends nearly the whole length of the reef flat ; 

 it varies in depth from four to seven fathoms, and is fully a mile wide 

 in places. 



The structure of the faces of Kolumadulu is in striking contrast ; the 

 northern and eastern are flanked by narrow reef flats. On the small flats 

 of the northern face there is only an occasional island, while on the two 

 long reef flats forming the eastern face runs a nearly continuous line of 

 islands from Fahala to the pass north of Guradu, and then again to Timara- 

 furi on the long and narrow southern reef flat. On the southern face, and 

 on the southern part of the western reef flat, we have a well-developed 

 faro lagoon, as well as faros to the north of the western pass and on the 

 flat which divides the western pass into two passages. So that the eastern 

 face of Kolumadulu (the northernmost of the single line of groups south 

 of the central Maldives) assumes the characters of the southern atolls, while 

 the western face with its lagoons takes that of the central groups to the 

 north of it. The central part of some of the encircling reefs of Kolumadulu, 

 Haddummati, and Suvadiva is occupied by shallow lagoons or veins. In 

 places they seem to have been formed by inner lines of coral patches grow- 

 ing parallel to the outer reef flats, and enclosing a part of the original rim 

 shoal of the lagoon. 



The sea face beaches of the islands on the southern side of Kolumadulu 

 are steep. The vegetation extends close to high-water mark, and in many 

 places the sea washes the base of the trunks of the trees. The outer spits 

 of the islands usually terminate in shingle beaches or patches of small 

 boulders, while the inner beaches become sandy. Many isolated sand bars 

 and banks are irregularly scattered over the southern reef flat, between 

 the outer edge and the lagoon of the faro. The outer edge of the reef flat 

 is flanked by a belt of coral boulders. 



