400 



J. STANLEY GARDINER. 



Dt.?"'"'- 



Hudufufi 



Ina 



Maben 



reef differ in no respects from the northern ones, being formed of sand and wasliing away towards 

 the lagoon, and perhaps against the sea, while more or less growing out at their ends. Their reefs 

 to seaward differ though from those of the E. side of the atoll in having no definite boulder zones, 

 only two zones being found, the sand flat (or boat channel) and the reef flat. The former differs 

 in no respect from that occurring elsewhere, save that coral life is especially abundant upon its 

 surface, but the latter is rougher, though less fissured at its edge, with more growing coral colonies 

 and other sedentary organisms than is usually found on the seaward reefs of the Maldives. The E. 

 sides of all are singularly barren, with a peculiar dead appearance and much algal growth. 



The condition of the great S.E. reef of the atoll is best shown by the chart (Fig. 104). 

 The reef is continuous ivom 

 Faidu to Aligau, and, indeed, 

 there are no considerable 

 breaks on the E. side except 

 those on either side of Furi- 

 faro. N. of Faidu is a small 

 stone heap on the point of the 

 reef against a very narrow 

 passage. This is joined to 

 Faidu itself by a line of 

 rock, outside which the sea 

 breaks at only a distance of 

 about 60 yards. Round Faidu 

 island the rock forms a belt 

 against the sea, 7 feet above 

 the high tide level, passing 

 outside into a reef flat, studded 

 on its inner half with pin- 

 nacles of the raised rock. 

 The rock is everywhere wash- 

 ing away, as shown by the 

 undermined and fallen trees 

 and pinnacles, but to the S.W. 

 of the island is a consider- 

 able, probably growing, area of 

 sand. Between Faidu and Di- 

 furi is a bight of water from 

 the lagoon, 12 fathoms or so 

 deep at its inner end ; this 

 appeared to run across the 

 greater part of the reef, but 

 the sea was breaking in a con- 

 tinuous line across its outer end on both the days I spent in this neighbourhood, so that any 

 investigation was impossible. 



The clump of islands of which Difuri is the northernmost forms more or less a double series, 

 although some islands by extending into both lines join them. The outer line forms a series of nine 

 small wooded islands, joined to one another by a series of rocks on the reef. These islets are all 

 built of rock alone, and their outer shores lie about 60 yards behind the seaward edge of t)ie reef. 

 The second, or inner, series consists of three much larger islands, which are all composed of sand. These 



■Deru 



^^'■^eUFuri 



AMqSivSQ 



Fig. 104 



Two of the E. reefs of Fadifolu Atoll much enlarged. 

 Compare with Fig. 103. 



