MILADUMMADULU. 91 



We passed at a short distance off Kuraidu, the northernmost of this 

 inner chain of islands ; its southern face is flanked by steep, coarse shingle 

 beaches, with a mass of boulders along the southwestern point. The island 

 is steep to; its vegetation is scanty. Faidu and Madidu, which are more in 

 the central part of the group, are steep to, and both have, according to the 

 chart, small central sinks. They are, like Kuraidu, surrounded by steep, 

 coarse shingle beaches. The vegetation of both is poor ; it seems to be 

 affected by the action of the southwest monsoon. 



Looking to the northeast, while off Madidu, we are facing the great 

 central gap of Miladummadulu, between Fivaku and Mavaidu, nearly fifteen 

 miles wide, with only Nu and Numara on the horizon across this great and 

 deep passage. 



On the western face of Miladummadulu, to the south of Bilifuri, are a 

 number of large faros and reef flats and islands, similar in all respects, 

 according to the charts, to those we examined, as well as a few small 

 islands scattered towards the centre of Miladummadulu to the north of 

 Dureadu, similar to the inner line of small islands near the east face of 

 the group. 



Kofenbe, to the south of our track, is a large faro over two miles in 

 diameter, with a lagoon of a greatest depth of three fathoms, and a wide 

 rim flat. A large triangular island occupies the greater part of the east- 

 ern rim. The vegetation consists of low bushes, though on the eastern 

 face there are a few clumps of large trees. The island is flanked by steep 

 coarse coral shingle beaches. 



The island of Bilifuri occupies a good part of the eastern rim flat of 

 the faro. The southern extremity of the island seems to be extending west- 

 ward as a sand spit forming the northern face of a small bay surrounded 

 with large forest trees. The southern spit itself is flanked by a coarse coral 

 shingle beach. The island is covered by fine trees and a thick outer belt of 

 bushes and smaller trees. Along the eastern fiice of the island the steep 

 shingle beaches are of still coarser material, with an outer belt of coral 

 boulders as large, if not larger, than any we have seen thus far in the 

 Maldives. Close to the northern point of the island the narrow entrance to 

 the lagoon is still plainly visible, and as we swept past it we obtained an 



