24 Mr Gardiner, The Atoll of Minikoi. 



flood in the proportion of about 7 to 5, but in this it varies greatly 

 in accordance with the strength of the winds, and I have even 

 seen the above reversed. It further alters with the time of high 

 water. The flood always seems to set to the east and the ebb to 

 the west. As the monsoon winds commonly moderate somewhat 

 after the heat of the day and during the night, it will be obvious 

 that the lowest tides are in the morning during the S.W. 

 monsoon and in the evening during the N.E. The difference in 

 rise and fall in heavy weather at springs is often as much as 2 to 

 2-| feet, and on one occasion I recorded over 3 feet. 



The surface temperature of the sea obviously varies greatly 

 from year to year. The Admiralty Charts for Minikoi give 

 February 82°, May 86°, August 81°, November 84°. My observa- 

 tions expressed in round numbers were : June 87°, July 84°, 

 August 82°, September 84°. June was a dry month, but it rained 

 daily for five weeks — often with great force — in July and August. 

 The total rainfall is about 110 inches per annum, the greater part 

 of which falls in the south-west monsoon and at the change of 

 monsoons. 



The atoll of Minikoi is of a more or less oval shape, lying in 

 a north-east and south-west direction, length 5 miles by greatest 

 breadth north-west and south-east 2'9 miles. The main island — 

 Minikoi island — lies on the reef to the east and south, and is 

 6 miles in length. The reef to the west and north is perfect up 

 to a narrow ship's passage at the extreme north point about 

 2 fathoms deep. It has two islands Wiringili with a few coconut 

 trees about - 5 mile from the west point of Minikoi and Ragandi, 

 a rocky mass, 1*5 miles farther north. 



The village is situated on the lagoon side about the centre of 

 Minikoi island, opposite Mou-Rambu, the most south-easterly 

 point of the atoll. South of the village the island varies in 

 breadth up to 800 yards, average about 600 yards. The greater 

 part of this is formed of remarkably fine sand, which has been 

 washed up from the lagoon ; it is then blown up the beach, form- 

 ing land, 2 feet or so above the high tide level. In most parts 

 this action has stopped or is scarcely appreciable now, but in one 

 bay it is still somewhat rapidly proceeding. Its rate can be 

 estimated by (1) the breadth of the beach above the low tide 

 level, (2) the proximity to the beach of trees and shrubs and their 

 size inland from the high tide level, and (3) the amount of green 

 and foliaceous algae washed up on the beach at each tide. 



North of the village the island narrows rapidly, and at a 

 distance of about '75 mile at the survey beacon is only 102 yards 

 between tide marks. It then continues as a mere ridge 70 to 

 110 yards broad to the north point. The sandy lagoon beach 

 ceases about 6 miles north of the village. It shows a very rapid 



