QQ THE CORAL REEFS OF THE MALDIVES. 



in length. In addition a number of small banks, islands, and islets or 

 faros are clustered in the northeastern area of the group. 



The slope of the eastern face of South Malosmadulu is, according to the 

 soundings (PI. 1), very gradual, far more than that of many of the other 

 groups. The one hundred-fathom line is at a greater distance from the 

 edge of the outer row of islands, faros, and reef flats. This is not the case 

 with the western face of either North or South Malosmadulu (PL 1). 



Some of the islands in the northeastern area of South Malosmadulu are 

 of considerable size, and many of them are well wooded. An island to the 

 westward of Mabaru is specially noted for its fine trees. The eastern 

 edge of the reef flat to the south of Mabaru is covered with patches of 

 corals, and fringed with stretches of boulders and heaps of shingle. 



The extremities of Mabaru (PI. 22, fig. 2), exposed to the action of the 

 northeast monsoon, are wasting away on the sea face, as are the islands 

 to the south, many cocoanut palms lying prostrate at the base of the 

 beaches. 



The vegetation on the islands of the east face of North and South 

 Malosmadulu is far more flourishing than that of Fadiffolu, probably be- 

 cause it is not exposed to the force of the southwest monsoon. On the 

 southeast face of South Malosmadulu both the monsoons blow along the 

 trend of the face, so no heavy swell or sea pounds upon the beaches of 

 that part of South Malosmadulu. 



The deep wide passes separating the islands of the southeast face of 

 South Malosmadulu give the impression that the islands are scattered 

 irregularly over an indefinite sea space, and not that they are part of the 

 land rim of an atoll (PI. 23). 



Aidu Island (PI. 22, fig. 1) is steep to, with deep wide passes on each 

 side. It is surrounded on the sea face by steep, coarse shingle beaches, 

 passing into coral sand beaches towards the west ; it is covered with fine 

 vegetation. To the south of Mabaru, between it and Aidu, a large, irregu- 

 larly shaped faro, Wandu Faro, fully three miles in length, extends west- 

 ward. Two islands are found on its western rim. Another large faro, Huni 

 Faro, lies to the south of Aidu, with islands at the eastern and western 

 extremities ; its lagoon has a greatest depth of six fathoms. The islands 



