22 Mr Gardiner, The Atoll of Minikoi. 



The Atoll of Minikoi 1 . By J. Stanley Gardiner, M.A., 

 Fellow of Gonville and Cams College, and Balfour Student of the 

 University of Cambridge. 



[Read 12 November 1900.] 



The Atoll of Minikoi is situated in lat. 8°15'N. and long. 

 73° E. For administrative purposes it is called a part of the 

 Laccadive Group, but geographically it rather belongs to the 

 Maldive, if to either. To the north lies the " nine degrees 

 channel" separating Minikoi from the Laccadives, of which 

 Suheli Par and Kalpeni, the nearest, are about 110 miles distant. 

 South is the "eight degrees channel" 71 miles across between 

 Minikoi and Ihavandifolu, the most northern Maldive atoll. 

 From the nearest point on the Indian coast Minikoi is about 215 

 miles distant. 



The Laccadives and Maldives lie on a long narrow bank at a* 

 depth of 1200 fathoms with deeps on either side of 2000 to 2400 

 fathoms. This bank stretches down from the west coast of India 

 to Addu Atoll in lat. 0° 40' S., but is separated from the Chagos 

 Atoll by a depth of 2500 fathoms. 



There is no weather side to the atoll of Minikoi, as it is 

 exposed equally to the north-east and south-west monsoons. Nor 

 indeed can there be said to be two sides principally exposed, 

 since, owing to the proximity of the atoll to the Indian coast, 

 winds from the south-east and north-west constantly occur. 

 During June and July, 1899, the wind varied only four points on 

 each side of N.W. by N., while in August and September it blew 

 from any direction within seven points of S. by W. Hurricanes 

 seldom approach the equator within lat. 8° N. or S. in the Indo- 

 Pacific Oceans, and the atoll is only visited by them about once 

 in every 12 years; even then, as the centre is usually far north, 

 little damage is done. Heavy storms are common at the com- 

 mencements of the monsoons. The currents in this region depend 

 mainly on the winds, and vary perhaps up to 50 miles per diem. 



1 I am indebted to the Government Grant Committee of the Royal Society and 

 the British Association for financial assistance in carrying out this work. I would 

 thank too Mr L. A. Borradaile for accompanying me to Minikoi ; his illness 

 unfortunately prevented the work from being as complete as I had desired. 



