FRINGING AND BARRIER REEFS. 33 
The usual features of these islands are presented in the following 
sketch. ‘The narrow belt is seen to consist of several patches of 
vegetation ; and within are the quiet waters which offer a retreat for 
vessels whenever there is an opening through the reef. 
A few small coral islands are simple reefs without lagoons. In 
some cases they are bare banks of coral; but generally the usual 
vegetation of these islands has obtained a foothold, and affords some 
protection against the glare of the coral sand. 
With these general remarks we may enter upon the more parti- 
cular consideration of the characters of reefs and islands. 
2. CHARACTERS OF FRINGING AND BARRIER REEFS. 
a. General Features. 
ringing reefs have been described as those that directly adjoin the 
shores of an island; and the darrier, as the exterior reefs, separated 
from the fringing reef, or from the shores when there is no inner reef, 
by an open channel. 
While there are only narrow shore reefs to many islands, around 
others a distant barrier extends like an artificial mole, sometimes 
ten or even fifteen miles from the land, and enclosing not only one, 
but at times several islands. Between the narrow fringing platform 
and these remote barriers, there is every possible variation as to 
extent and relative position. ‘The inner channel is sometimes barely 
deep enough at low tide for canoes, or for long distances may be 
wanting entirely. Then again it 1s a narrow intricate passage, ob- 
structed by knolls or patches of coral, rendering the navigation quite 
quotes from John de Barros, “Maldive is derived from mal, signifying a thousand or 
uncountable number, and diva, an island.”’ The title of the Sultan, given in the text, is 
cited from a geographical description of the Maldives by Frangois Pyrard; and Captain 
Owen adds, “I believe the actual number to be more than treble or fourfold this number.” 
(Ibid, p. 81.) 
The Maldive word Atoll, or Atollon, commonly used to signify the groups into which 
the Maldives are divided, and now applied to lagoon islands generally, means in strictness 
only the chaplet or circle on which the islands rest, and which encloses them. (Ibid, p. 88.) 
9 
