TILADUMMATI. 



93 



western extremities. At the western extremity of Kandute a small de- 

 tached island rises upon the small reef flat; it is flanked with beach rock 

 and coral boulder masses, greatly weathered. That part of the island is 

 exposed to the full force of the southwest monsoon. 



Natives of Kuludu. 



Tiladummati. 



Plates 1,2 : 8 a, fiijs. 2, 3; 45-53. 



Immediately north of the artificial boundary drawn between Miladiun- 

 madulu and Tiladummati, on the west face, lies a bank with irregular 

 soundings varying from three to fourteen fathoms (PI. 2). Next, to the 

 north, comes Muradu (Pis. 45 ; 46, fig. 1), a circular faro of about two miles 

 in diameter with a wide rim reef flat. On the chart of 1836 a long narrow 

 island is drawn upon the eastern face of the rim flat, and a smaller island 

 on the inner edge of the western rim (PI. 2). We were surprised to find 

 that these two islands iire now connected, forming a single crescent-shaped 

 island, a long sand spit having extended from each somewhat diagonally 

 across the inner face of the northern rim. They are connected by a 

 high coral sand ridge partly covered with low bushes and a .scanty vege- 

 tation near the old islands, and bai'e on the more recent central part. The 



