THE MALDIVE AND LACCADIVE ARCHIPELAGOES. 153 
North Male. In the latter channel we carried the line out eastwards, getting 1030 fathoms 
two miles south-east of Hulule reef and about the same distance from the nearest reef of 
South Male. This is the sole sounding off the centre of the group, which at all suggests 
the contour of the bank as a whole. There may be opposite the passage, where the above 







7 ze = 2 23 1g 32 
s N 
A Scale memt—Sem? ten} Cables 
R ra 233 woz _169 2 = 
N 
Scale. Smelt eee —3 Cables 
B. G 
Scale. Horizontal ‘emat—2Seet—$ Miles D Scale Vertical mme—Zeemt—5 Cables 
> 270 205 z0> CaS 223 Poed 1030 



ett Miles E Scale Vertical jmmf———_S—§ Cables 

Scale. Horizontal . 
Fic. 26. A. Section across the passage between North and South Nilandu atolls. B. Section of slope to south 
of South Nilandu. C. Section to south of North Nilandu. 1) and £. Sections across the central basin, D 
being supposed to pass across two atolls, and E along two of the channels between the banks. (See Plate X.) 
sounding was taken, a small bight of deep water, but from the analogy of other reefs it 
is probable that the 1000 fathom line approaches all the banks nearly as closely on their 
seaward sides. There are, however, a few soundings to the north, but here the conditions 
change somewhat owing to the approach towards continental land. <A line to the south-west 
of Ihavandifolu shows a depth of 357 fathoms less than three-quarters of a mile from the 
reef, a gradual slope to 1000 fathoms at a distance of 5 miles, succeeded by a very much 
more gradual slope to the 2000 fathom line presumably in a further distance of 30 to 40 
miles. 
The trend of the Maldives is such that from Kolumadulu to Ihavandifolu it is almost 
certain that all must lie on the same plateau. The distances separating the banks are 
inconsiderable save the Kardiva Channel, running north-east and south-west, which between 
Fadifolu and Gafaro is 27 miles across and between Goifurfehendu and Ari 33 miles. The 
lines of the banks are, nevertheless, quite clear; indeed on the east side the island of 
Kardiva breaks the channel almost in the centre, and to the west Toddu stands out about 
10 miles north of Ari. There is not improbably a great bight of deep water extending 
inwards for many miles from the west, and the whole plateau also may be deeper, but at 
the same time it is unlikely that the banks to the south and north are separated by any 
depth greatly in excess of that found in the central basin to the south or in the channels 
20—2 
