FADIFOLU. 399 



the reef with a depth of two or three fathoms, smooth sandy bottom with little or no sedentary life. 

 An irregular line of reef with a series of surface patches, through which a passage may anywhere 

 be found, forms a barrier for this pool against the atoll-lagoon. Along its whole length the character 

 of this reef varies considerably, its surface being in some places covered with knolls of coral, and in 

 others almost bare ; everywhere a characteristic, almost perpendicular, fall to the lagoon was found. 

 Of the two shoals represented to the W. of Kani Hura I could see no signs, though all those marked 

 in the chart near the N. passage were quite distinct. 



Furifaro is the southernmost of two reefs — the two reefs to the N. shown in the chart have 

 become completely fused — separated from one another by a quite narrow channel, almost a canal. 

 The island itself is washing away to the W., but growing out to the N. and E. It presents a 

 peculiar appearance, being covered with low shrubs to the E. rising to immense losa trees (Morinda 

 citraefolia) to the W., where the shore ends in a small cliif. To the N. there is a steep, sandy shore, 

 which falls practically to the bottom of the N. channel. E. the reef is the same as off Kani Hura, 

 but W. it differs in being covered with living coral colonies, presenting here quite the appearance of 

 a growing reef. The reefs in the channel to the S. of Furifaro are flat-topped and reach the low 

 tide level. 



On the western side of the atoll Kuredu is washing away to the S., but, if anything, being 

 extended by the piling up of stone to the N. and along by the side of the passage, where its en- 

 closing reef is very narrow. The S. island on this same reef, which the people remember to have 

 been covered with coco-palms, is now a mere sand bank with three small trees. 



Komandu is of sand with a large reef, to which are now united the reef to the N. and the 

 small patch to the S.E., but about half of the latter does not now exist, so that the passage is fairly 

 clear. The island is wasliing away N.E. and S.W., but growing S.E. ; to the S.W. there are three 

 lines of beach rock running out upon the reef, which at its edge consists of a series of separately 

 rising coral patches. 



Ina'wari is a sandy island increasing both N. and S., but very decidedly washing away to the 

 E., where I found that a former graveyard, at least thirty yards across, had been very largely re- 

 moved, the whole shore being strewn with human skulls and various other bones. Off this part the 

 natives of the island have erected breakwaters, which three times in the last forty years have had 

 to be renewed. Outside at the low tide level there is a dead flat of coral rock — a reef flat — which 

 ends precipitously against the lagoon. Tlie natives state that the reef is narrower on this side than 

 when they were young, and that botli it and the land are being washed away at the same rate. 

 The reef to the N. appears to be growing out so as to close in the passages on either side of our 

 shoal, and there does not seem to be any separate reef as that marked off the S. end. A comparison 

 in this neighbourhood with the chart is impossible, but it is clear that the island was originally 

 placed too far to the W. on its reef. The presence of a clear, broad passage — we anchored in it 

 after twice tacking — on the E. side is not to be reconciled with the chart, unless one supposes that 

 the W. reef has really been washed back, a supposition which its dead condition shows clearly to 

 have been quite possible. 



Madewaru is all of sand, washing away rapidly to the E. and less quickly to the W., while 

 apparently growing out at its N. and S. points. It is, however, always very difficult to decide about 

 the changes of sea-swept points, where as in this case practically the whole island is covered with 

 such bushes as Scaevola koenigii, Tourne/ortia argentea and Pemphis acidula without any high trees. 



Naifaro is, like the last island, of sand, and shows the same changes. Its reef on the E. side 

 is all dead, and nowhere more than 120 yards broad. At its edge is a breakwater erected by its 

 people, outside which a depth of 12 — 1.5 fathoms was found in 3 — 4 yards, the slope being almost perpen- 

 dicular and with no animal life. All the islands to the S. of Naifaro as far as those on the Kanifuri 



