NORTH MALE. 41 



On the outer line of faros of North Male, Malosmadulu, and Ari (Pis. 3, 4), 

 with the exception of the reef flat bounding the southern face of the latter, 

 and in the maze of coral heads and banks of its southeastern face and the 

 reef flat on the northwest face of North Male there is no evidence of the 

 coalescence of adjoining faros ; they stand out separately and distinctly, 

 much as they originally arose from the plateaus upon which they are 

 scattered. 



Steaming south from Mirufuri along the eastern face of North Male, we 

 could see across the outer line of faros a number of well-wooded islands in 

 the interior of the great enclosed sheet of water to the westward from Asdu 

 and south to the islands to the northwest of Male Island and near it. Such 

 a land rim as we have described from Mirufuri to Male gave to the so-called 

 lagoon of North Male a totally different character from that of any other 

 atoll I had previously seen. The existence of well-wooded islands in the 

 interior of the great enclosed sheets of water of the Maldives we subse- 

 quently found to be a distinctive feature of the archipelago. The outer 

 edge of the faros on the east face of North Male is clearly marked at low 

 tide by a belt of boulders or by the surf breaking on the outer face of the 

 wide reef flat; the depth of the rim below the surface can readily be 

 detected from the color of the water on the flat. The inner edge, at the 

 time of the northeast monsoon, is only marked by the coloring of the inner 

 flat, a yellowish-green belt of varying width separating the light blue of 

 the lagoon of the faro from the deeper, darker-colored water of the larger 

 enclosed sheet. Extensive patches of corals spread over both the inner and 

 outer reef flats of the faro, gradually becoming thinner and more distant 

 and less luxuriant as they recede from the outer edges. Their presence 

 can be detected at a considerable distance from the dark, more or less 

 purple brown coloring of the patches. 



The southern corner of North Male is occupied by the island of Male, on 

 which is built the capital of the Maldives. The greater part of the island is 

 covered by an old fort erected by the Portuguese and Dutch during their 

 occupancy of the islands. To the west and south extends a wide reef flat 

 dished near the outer edge, while on the northern and eastern faces the 

 island is steep to. Extensive works have at different times been built 



