IHAVANDIFFULU. 101 



Digufurl extends away to the northward on the outer rim of the western 

 reef flat. The vegetation on the islands of the western reef flat of Ihavan- 

 diffulu is meagre, but those in the interior as well as on the northeastern 

 face of the atoll are covered with a flourishing outer belt of bushes sur- 

 rounding inner clumps of taller forest trees. 



A belt of small boulders skirts the edge of the narrow reef flat of the 

 northern point of Ihavandu Island ; a steep, high, coarse coral shingle beach 

 mixed with small boulders has at times been driven through the outer belt 

 of bushes between the base of the trees to a height of more than twelve or 

 thirteen feet. 



We examined Manafur as a type of the islands in the central part of 

 IhavandiflFulu ; they are all steep to, with small reef flats. The eastern 

 half of the northern face of IhavandifFulu is open, with a single small 

 lagoon reef island (Wagaru) near the centre of the northern side. 



On the northeastern face of the atoll are three small islands, steep to 

 with small reef flats, and towards the northeastern horn a larger island, 

 Uleguma, also steep to, and over two miles in length. The southern part of 

 the northeast face ends in a long lagoon reef flat, at the extremities of which 

 are two islands of considerable size, Muladu and Gumati ; the gap between 

 them (PI. 54, fig. 1) is apparently closing, as the low vegetation of the inner 

 extremities clearly indicates their recent origin. The long sand spit forming 

 the northern extension of Muladu with its low vegetation and ending with 

 small distinct tufts of bushes indicates clearly the extent of the recent addi- 

 tion to the island. The corresponding spit of the southern part of Gumati 

 is much shorter. The small reef flat forming the northern horn of Gumati is 

 nearly covered by small boulders. 



The southern point of Beramundu is formed by a high, steep sand beach, 

 while its northern point (PI. 55, fig. 1) and the southern point of Muladu 

 are high, steep, coarse coral shingle beaches, with heaps of boulders at 

 the base. 



The passes on the northeast face of Ihavandiffulu are wide and deep ; 

 those of the northern face are as wide, but of a less depth. The western 

 pass through which we entered the atoll is more than sixteen fathoms in 

 depth and fully a mile and a quarter wide. On the southeast face, for a 



