CHAPTER HI. 



The Atoll of Minikoi. 



Section 1. General. 



Minikoi atoll (Fig. 1) is of a more or less oval shape, somewhat pointed to the north- 

 east, where there is a narrow channel into the lagoon with 2 to 2i fathoms of water. 

 This passage is further broken by a shoal in the centre, showing clearly the continuation 

 of the reef. The latter is for the rest perfect, and can in moderate weather be traversed 

 everywhere on foot at low spring-tides. Three boat-passages exist to the north-north-west, 

 available at half tide, but the importance of these must not be magnified, as they are 

 regularly cleared by the inhabitants. The greatest length of the atoll is 5 miles and 

 breadth 29 miles ; the cii'cumference is nearly 13 miles and the lagoon occupies an area 

 of about 6 square miles. 



The position of the atoll has already been seen. It suffices here merely to draw 

 attention to its isolation, arising as it does probably within two miles from a depth of 

 1100 fathoms on every side except to the south-south-west. In the latter position a ridge 

 at a depth of about 950 fathoms appears from the charts to connect Minikoi atoll to the 

 Maldive group. Unfortunately no proper sections were run when the atoll was re-surveyed 

 in 1891, and I had not the means to make a proper series of soundings. Indeed the 

 weather was too bad during the greater part of my stay for boats to get out except to 

 the north and east. In these situations the slope commences with a sudden drop from the 

 reef to 2 or 3 fathoms, the bottom consisting of rounded buttresses and masses of coral- 

 rock. Local variations due to shallow platforms occur, but the fall is generally fairly even 

 for 100 to 350 yards, where a steep commences at a depth of 30 to 50 fathoms. To 

 the east-north-east of Kodi point this shelf is more extensive, the greater part having 

 a depth of 35 fathoms, forming a possible anchorage in the south-west monsoon. The 

 further slope here is more gradual, and the steep less defined, indicating the trend of the 

 submarine elevation, on which the atoll is founded. The steep is probably similar to that 

 of Funafuti and other atolls, a few yards giving no bottom at 120 fathoms (Fig. 5). 

 I did not sound deeper, but the chart indicates that a more gradual slope soon commences 

 down to the encircling depth. The first slope to about 40 fathoms is notably broader 

 to the north and west than to the south and east ; in the latter position no two sections 

 are the same. In Fig. 5 a section off Weli Gandola passage is represented. The bottom 



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