NORTH MALOSMADULU. 69 



and faros of the interior compare favorably in size, in the extent of 

 the boulder belt, the height and steepness of the sand beaches, the width 

 of the rims and reef flats with similar structures on the outer belt of the 

 group. This is specially the case when the islands in the interior basin 

 are in such a position as to face a long reach either of the northeast or 

 southwest monsoon, and are thus placed in conditions more similar to those 

 of islands and faros on the exterior faces of the groups. 



Medu, one of the most important islands of North Malosmadulu, is steep 

 to ; it is surrounded by a high steep coral sand beach with many large trees 

 in the interior basin of the island formed by the high beaches, the summit 

 of which rises from four to six feet above the inner flat. The upper part of 

 the beach we found covered with windrows of masses of pumice. On the 

 wide sea slope flat corals flourish in great abundance at from six to seven 

 fathoms of depth, where the slope drops rapidly, and corals become less 

 numerous ; at a depth of about twelve fathoms they disappear very 

 rapidly as they become separated by lanes and patches of sand and over- 

 whelmed by sand-bars. The vegetation of the central part of the island is 

 made up of numerous large trees of Breadfruit, Pandanus, Banyans, and 

 other forest trees surrounded by a thick outer belt of low bushes and trees ; 

 many of the bushes belong to genera found on the beaches of Pacific atolls. 

 The summit of parts of the outer coral sand beach of Medu is from fourteen 

 to fifteen feet high ; the wide path leading across the island drops from 

 three to four feet towards the interior after passing the flat summit of 

 the beach. 



The islands we passed to the north of Medu — Digeli, Tahwahtah, Roon- 

 gelly, as well as others we saw in the distance — all rise upon flats of con- 

 siderable size ; like Medu, they are surrounded by high and steep coral sand 

 beaches, but their vegetation is less flourishing, consisting mainly of low 

 bushes and shrubs. 



We examined the islands on the east face of North Malosmadulu from 

 Kotafuri north to Kuda Kura and near Anguretin ; those further south and 

 north, which we did not visit, present, according to the chart, no different 

 features from the former. The islands to the north of Kotafuri all have 

 long reef spits extending to the westward. The beaches of Kotafuri are 



