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trees in the centre. If the islets are washing away at all, 
Pemphis acidula is sure to be present above the beach, but 
if they are growing is very seldom found. 
There are very few rocky islets in the whole group which 
did not exist when the charts were made in 1836, but Hura, 
to the west of the reef marked Wah-pure, was then devoid 
of foliage. It has now cocoanut trees said to have been 
planted about twenty years ago. before which it was all grass. 
Now Pemphis acidula and Tournefortia argentea occur about 
the beach abundantly to the east, while the west, where the 
island is still growing, is covered with Apluda aristata, 
Aerua lanata, with Canavalia lineata, Oldenlandia biflora, and 
Cassytha flliformis creeping over the rocks in every direction. 
The absence of Pandani is remarkable. 
Limbo Kandu, in N. Mahlos, is remarkable as showing 
the richest vegetation we saw north of Male. It is a round 
sandy island with a ridge of wind-blown sand all round, 
perhaps 12 feet above high tide level, below which there is 
little change taking place in the beach. Round the coast is 
a line of the ordinary sand bushes, 80-120 yards broad, in 
which the ridge above slopes to the central flat, which is 1-2 
feet above high tide. This part is for the most part covered 
with large trees, cocoanut, banyan, bread-fruit, Barringtonia, 
with a number of very large limes and Pandani. Plantains 
of very good quality grow luxuriantly, and there are some 
yams (Ipomœa Batatas), pomegranates, a little ala (Colocasia 
antiquorum), and best of all, chillies. A noticeable point 
in the central clump is the extreme luxuriance of a certain 
creeper which has completely covered over some large 
Pandani and hangs from the Nika (banyan) in heavy festoons. 
The tropical appearance was only perhaps equalled in 
Addu Atoll, but the creeper was not seen elsewhere. It 
should be mentioned that the island was formerly inhabited, 
and the creeper may have been brought from Ceylon or 
India with the plantains, which are frequently brought over 
