20 THE CORAL REEFS OF THE MALDIVES. 



Southern line across the central basin ran from Konipafuri (South 

 Nilandu) towards Kureli (Mulaku) (PI. Sb, fig. 13). 



Two and a half miles off Konipafuri we obtained one hundred and sixty- 

 one fathoms (No. 13) with a bottom of fine coral sand mixed with Pteropod 

 shells and green Globigerinae. At a distance of seven and one-half miles 

 from our starting-point we sounded in one hundred and eighty-one fathoms 

 (No. 14), the bottom consisting of fine green coral sand with many 

 Globigerinae and shells of Spirialis and many other Pteropods. Twelve 

 and one-half miles from the starting-point we obtained one hundred and 

 ninety-four fathoms (No. 15) with very fine green coral sand mixed with 

 Globigerinae shells of Spirialis and other Pteropods ; and about four miles 

 north of Kureli we found a similar bottom in two hundred and five fathoms 

 (No. 16). 



This channel shows, after the first abrupt drop off shore, the same general 

 flat bottom as across the northern part between South Male and Ari, but 

 with a slight increase in depth as we go east from South Nilandu to 

 Mulaku. The bottom of the southern part of the central basin is like the 

 northern part oceanic in character, composed of Globigerinae mixed with 

 Pteropods. 



To determine the western slope of the central part of the Maldive 

 plateau we ran a line from Mandu Pass, west of Ari, into nearly fifteen 

 hundred fathoms (PI. 8 c, fig. 25). Three miles off the normal to Mandu 

 Pass we sounded in nine hundred and eight fathoms (No. 8) ; fine light- 

 green coral sand bottom and Globigerinae. Eight miles off the starting- 

 point we obtained a sounding of fourteen hundred and ninety-eight fathoms 

 (No. 9) ; with a bottom of light bluish-gray fine coral sand and ooze, with 

 many Globigerinae. This part of the Maldivian plateau falls off quite rap- 

 idly to the westward, more so than the northern part of the western slope 

 (see Nos. 65, 66 ; 73-75, and Admiralty Chart, 66 a). 



Line across Fulidu Channel, from Fulidu Pass, east of Fulidu Island, 

 towards Hutekolu (South Male) (PI. 8&, fig. 16). 



One mile north of Fulidu Pass, east of Fulidu Island, we obtained two 



