398 J- STANLEY GARDINER. 



the dead coral fi-om this position was in small masses, as if due to a piling up by the 

 currents, but this appearance, as that of the relative absence of living corals, may have 

 been due to the powerlessness of our dredges to give us a real idea of the nature of such 

 a bottom. On each side of this ridge the reef was in its slope (11 fathoms in 16 yards) 

 less steep and dead than further within the channel, being covered with much Madrepom 

 and nullipore growth. There seemed then to be a definite upgrowth along a line across 

 the passage almost against the outer slope of the atoll, a character which I was also able 

 to detect in the next two channels to the south, but which I was almost unable to trace 

 so clearly elsewhere in the whole Maldive Archipelago. It is interesting to observe that 

 in the passage north of Naifaro on Dec. 26th, 1899, no cun-ent was found on the surface 

 with a rising tide and wind of force 6 from the north-east, while in six different positions, 

 8 — 16 fathoms deep, cun-ents setting seawards were found, varying in force from 1^ — 3^ miles 

 per hour. 



The various changes of land and sea are dealt with below for the islands severally, 

 but it is remarkable that on none of the reefs we visited to the west did we find any 

 rocky land, any trace indeed of elevated rock. To the east on the contrary there still exist 

 at least the remains of an almost continuous line from nearly the north to the south j^oint 

 of the atoll. The sandy land of the lagoon side was probably piled up from the lagoon 

 behind this line of rock, and there are now places, where the same process continues. If 

 any rock ever existed on the west rim, it is impossible to believe that no trace of it would 

 have been left. At the same time sand areas without rock could not have been formed 

 under the sea except at some considerable depth. It hence follows that the sandy islets 

 of the west side must have been formed by sand washed up from the lagoon, and it is 

 necessary to suppose that the reefs of the west rim were less perfect before elevation than 

 those of the east rim, and still some distance below the surface of the water. 



Kani Hura, Fehingili, and their reef to the N.E. of the atoll (Fig. 104) are quite irrecon- 

 cileable at the present day with the old cliart, so much so indeed that it is extremely difficult to see 

 what changes h&ve really taken place. The N. end of Fehingili is of stone, and appears to be 

 growing out, while the S. side is washing away, the island marked x having been cut off from the 

 same. South of Fehingili along its reef is a series of no less than seven new islets, which are 

 apparently of stone outside and of sand within, their outer edges resting on the boulder zone, 

 beyond which is a well-defined reef flat. Kani Hura has a fringe of rock to the N.E., which side 

 shows generally a loss. The rest of the beach is of sand growing out, slightly to the W., but more 

 extensively in a spit to the S.W. The seaward side of the S. end of the island shows a line of 

 beach sandstone along the reef. Beyond this there is a flat, a kind of boat channel, but not hollowed 

 out, and with some patches of loose stones. Further out again is a line of the elevated coral rock, 

 extending along the reef for some distance to the S., but not elsewhere found on its surface. These 

 masses of rock in this position lie on the inner part of the reef flat, but in other positions there is 

 a well-defined boulder zone, the rocks of which are represented in this situation by the loose stones 

 between the reef flat and the beach of the island. The reef, examined as a whole, shows from this 

 line of elevated rock that a great island must have at one time extended to the S., while probably 

 all the land to the N. is of quite recent formation with the possible exception of a patch near the 

 northern passage. 



The reef to seaward of Kani Hura, and indeed everywhere that I saw to the E. of Fadifolu, 

 has the typical outer slope, reef flat and, where no land is present, boulder zone. To the W. of 

 Kani Hura there is a sand flat sloping to a velu, which extends nearly along the whole length of 



