108 THE CORAL REEFS OF THE MALDIVES. 



it is separated from South Nilandu by a channel of three miles and a half 

 in width, with a greatest depth of two hundred and thirty-five fathoms in 

 the centre.* The greatest depth of North Nilandu is thirty-five fathoms, 

 the soundings in general vary from twenty-four to thirty fathoms. 



The flat-topped banks we passed all have velus, although the rim is 

 indicated only on two of the banks. Mr. Gardiner has called attention to 

 this defect in the charts of both North and South Nilandu." He thinks 

 that their absence on the charts proves their formation by solution since 

 the days of Moresby, as in other atolls, their existence is always correctly 

 indicated on the charts. It is difficult to decide this, as the original charts 

 of Moresby are not accessible. I would also call attention to the same defect 

 in the chart of Ari, where some of the banks with velus are drawn merely as 

 flat-topped banks with an outer belt of growing corals. None of the inner 

 banks have disappeared, on the contrary, Mr. Gardiner speaks of finding 

 six uncharted shoals in the southern part of North Nilandu ; ^ according to 

 him this would indicate a rather unimportant action by solution on the inner 

 banks in both North and South Nilandu. Mr. Gardiner's figures of North 

 and South Nilandu do not strike nie as indicating the decreased breadth of 

 the lagoon reefs of the outer rim, upon which he lays great stress. Some of 

 the velus of the outer lagoon reefs had evidently increased in size, but as I 

 have stated (page 62) this is not necessarily due to solution. 



The faros of the east face of North Nilandu enclose large lagoons of con- 

 siderable depth, varying from six to ten fathoms. There are only three 

 islands of any size on these faros ; the others, six in number, are but diminu- 

 tive islets on the horns of the faros. The western face of North Nilandu is 

 flanked by five faros, all with large and deep lagoons. The central, the 

 largest faro, has, according to the Admiralty Chart, five lagoons, in two 

 rows ; Mr. Gardiner* shows three on his figure, its eastern edge flanked 

 by coral spits forming cusps extending as small bays to the eastward, 

 similar to the bays formed by the cusps of the faro south of Akirifuri on the 

 west face of North Male. There is only one small island on the western 

 face of North Nilandu. 



^ According to the soundings of Mr. Gardiner, loc. cit., p. 405. '■^ Loc. cit., p. 405, fig. 105. 



* They are not shown in his Figure 105, page 405, loc. cit. * Loc. cit., p. 405, fig. 105. 



