14 THE CORAL REEFS OF THE MALDIVES. 



One and a half miles west of Kanifuri we found five hundred and nine- 

 teen Hithoms (No. 57), with a bottom of sticky yellow coral ooze, with but 

 few Globigeriuae and little sand and Pteropod shells. Five and a quarter 

 miles from the starting-point in the centre of the channel, we sounded in 

 three hundred and sixty-six fathoms (No. 58), with a bottom of green, fine 

 coral ooze, with few Globigerinae. A mile and a half from Mabaru Island 

 the depth had decreased to two hundred and thirty-six fathoms (No. 59), 

 with a bottom of broken shells and coral sand. 



The plateau evidently dips rapidly to the eastward from the centre of 

 the channel. 



Our third line across the northern central basin ran to the west of Gaha 

 Faro towai'ds Goifurfehendu; the soundings of the other extremity of the line 

 from Goifurfehendu east were taken while running to Goifurfehendu after 

 leaving South Malosmadulu (PI. 8 a, fig. 8). 



One and a half miles to the west of the western entrance to Gaha Faro, 

 we sounded in one hundred and forty-nine fathoms (No. 49), with a bottom 

 consisting of coral sand and masses of large Globigerinae.' Nine miles from 

 our starting-point, we obtained two hundred and fifty-eight fathoms (No. 50). 

 In continuation of this line we obtained, seven miles east of Goifurfehendu, 

 a depth of two hundred and thirty-seven fathoms (No. 60), with a bottom 

 of fine green sand and masses of Globigerinae or Globigerinae sand. One 

 and a half miles east of Goifurfehendu, we found two hundred and twelve 

 fathoms (No. 61), with fine green sand and Globigerinae sand, showing a 

 comparatively shallow plateau extending to the west of Gaha Faro towards 

 Goifurfehendu, though it deepens somewhat to the west of Goifurfehendu, 

 as is shown by the line from Goifurfehendu to South Malosmadulu, which 

 has a greatest depth of three hundred and two fathoms in the centre of the 

 channel separating them. The plateau again deepens to the northward, 

 as is shown by the depth obtained between Gaha Faro and Fadiffolu, which 

 varies between two hundred and forty-one and three hundred and seventy- 

 two fathoms (Nos. 51, 56). 



^ lu the channels open to the sea, Globigerinae often oocur in such quantities that we might with 

 advantage call that kind of bottom Globigerina sand. 



