GOIFURFEHENDU. 379 



end, showing that the island must have at one time extended considerably further along the reef. 

 Sandstone terraces also occur along the whole of the lagoon beach, but in its eastern half the 

 loss is local, and there is little change at the present time going on at this end of the island. 

 The remains of sandstone lines on the sand-flat at the base of the beach show, however, that in 

 recent years the island extended at the least 25 yards further out on its sand-flat towards the 

 lagoon. 



Furudu also is formed entirelj' of sand, and its north shore lies 80 — 100 yards behind the 

 boulder zone of the reef. Its beach is coated with sandstone, but the sea has recently broken 

 through this at the east end of the island and washed away much of the sand, so that the trend 

 of the island causes it to be further distant from the reef in this part. The sandstone, nevertheless, 

 still remains as a line of masses, about 90 yards behind the boulder zone. These continue right 

 across to the west end of Fehendu, thus proving the former continuity of the two islands. Further 

 lagoonwards again a series of four sand banks connects the islands, but whether this area was 

 ever covered by the land it is impossible to say. The sand banks and tlie points of the islands 

 are certainly now growing by the piling up of sand from the lagoon by the winds and waves. 

 Along the south side of the island there is at present little or no change taking place, but a 

 few sandstone masses on the flat ofi" the beach prove that the island formerly extended out further 

 towards the lagoon. 



Perhaps tiie most noticeable point about Furudu lies in its beach sandstone to the north 

 being V)ut little terraced. It presents in many places a cliS" of 2 or 3 feet to the sea with one 

 solid mass of rock on the beach behind. This formation is probably due to the protected situation 

 of the island behind the boulder zone and to its situation to the north of the atoll. The sea 

 has not overtopped the sandstone, and its removal must be by the undermining action of the 

 water, Vjoth erosion and solution, just as a pinnacle of coral rock is worn away. At the same 

 time the formation on the beach above up to the high tide level must go on, and the sandstone 

 thus necessarily affords very considerable protection to the land. 



Fig. 92. Fehenfura from the lagoon. 



Fig. 93. Mafura from seaward. 



InafUri resembles Furudu- to which it is connected by five large sand banks on the reef as 

 well as by a few sandstone rocks — in its situation in respect to the boulder zone and in beinw 

 formed of sand alone. It has a terraced sandstone formation on its shores, but this is nowhere 

 extensive and towards the lagoon almost non-existent. 



The only other approach to land in the atoll is in two water-swept masses, exposed for 6 8 feet 



at low tide and stretching for some distance along the reefs on either side of the passage into 

 the lagoon. They are formed of coral rock, and lie on the boulder zone, along which isolated 

 masses continue for some distance at either end. They represent the same line of rock that occurs 

 to the east of Goidu, and, if clothed with vegetation, would be not dissimilar to Raburi and 

 Masilokolu. The natives have definite names for them, that to the east of the passage being called 

 Fehenfura and that to the west MafVira, and maintain that they were once inhabited laud 

 though they could not produce any evidence in support of their contention. 



^- 49 



