10 J. STANLEY GARDINER. 



It has a well-defined rim with passages at intervals, and is about 34 miles long by a 

 little less in breadth ; its lagoon has a maximum depth of 50 fathoms. As Addu atoll 

 was to be our turning point, we now spent only two days in Suvadiva, dredging and 

 sounding along the east side of the lagoon. We anchored with banked fires for two nights 

 at Nilandu and Gaddu, and I further, leaving the dredging to my companion, visited 

 Wiligili and Kondai. 



Addu is a small atoll, 10 miles long by 6 broad, lying about lat. 0°40'S. Its reef 

 is perfect except for two small passages to the north and two larger ones to the south. 

 The lagoon has a maximum depth of 36 fathoms ; it is fairly open in the centre, but 

 against the encircling reefs has a perfect maze of coral heads, arising from 7 to 10 fathoms. 

 It is noticeable that the greater part of the circumference of the atoll is surrounded by 

 land. The " Equatorial Channel," 48 miles across, separates Addu and Suvadiva. In its 

 centre is the island of Fua Mulaku, said to have a deep kuli (lake) in its midst; it is 

 two miles long by one broad, and has a fringing reef only. On our passage to Addu, and 

 subsequently on our return journey, we tried to visit it, but the heavy sea made both 

 anchoring and landing quite impossible. We remained at Addu until April 15, examining 

 the reefs and islands, in both of which there have been great changes since Moresby's 

 survey. We also checked the soundings on the chart, and took 14 hauls of the dredge 

 in the lagoon and on the outer slopes. In one of the latter from 40 fathoms we obtained 

 a large quantity of Heliopora coeridea with almost colourless corallum. The vegetation of 

 the islands was far more luxuriant than any we saw in other parts of the Maldives, but 

 the land fauna was very scanty as compared with Hulule. The animal life of the encircling 

 reefs seemed to be both poorer and less varied than to the north ; the growth of fixed 

 forms of life in the lagoon was, however, decidedly lavish. 



Revisiting Suvadiva on our return journey, we dredged and sounded within the lagoon 

 along the south and west sides, anchoring for three nights at Gaddu, Nadalle and Havara- 

 Tinadu, beyond which I did not land anywhere. On April 19th we entered Kolumadulu, 

 having in the morning coasted along the east side of Haddumati. We dredged the passage, 

 as we entered, and dropped anchor at Buruni, at once going on shore. 



On April 20 we ran a line of soundings across to S. Nilandu, an atoll somewhat 

 similar to Male. We twice traversed the lagoon, anchoring that night at Rimbudu. Six 

 dredgings were taken in 19 to 35 fathoms; they proved to be in their result the richest 

 series that were obtained in the whole archipelago, although I do not think we found 

 any forms of which we had not previously preserved specimens. 



On April 21 we sounded the channel across to N. Nilandu atoll, which we crossed. 

 We then ran a line of soundings to Wattaru atoll across the central basin, which has 

 very generally been supposed to owe its origin to the lagoon of a much larger atoll, 

 now completely lost. We further sounded the channel between Mulaku and Wattaru atolls, 

 anchoring for the night off Rakidu in Felidu atoll. On April 22nd we sounded the 

 channel between Felidu and Wattaru atolls, and then ran a second line across to the 

 western chain, about 15 miles north of the first. We sounded the channel between N. 

 Nilandu and Ari atolls, continuincr northwards soundinsr at intervals to Mahiaddu in the 

 latter atoll, where we dropped anchor. On April 23rd we made a straight course for Male, 

 putting down our third line of soundings across the central basin. We ran our line out 



