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13° 45* N., consisting of several large islands that are separated by sti’aits 
and channels which, with the exception of a passage 30 miles wide 
and about 100 fathoms deep between Rutland Island and Little Andaman, 
are all very narrow and usually quite shallow. Further south we find 
in the same chain the Nicobar Islands; these, separated by wider inter¬ 
vals than the members of the Andaman Group are, extend from 6° 45' 
to 7° 15' N. Besides being wider, the passages between the individual 
islands here are much deeper and the main channels between the 
Andamans and Nicobars on the one hand, and between the Nicobars 
and Sumatra or the Nias Islands on the other, in place of being under 
150 fathoms deep, give soundings of 500, 750, and even 900 fathoms. 
There is, however, along the line from Little Andaman to the island of 
Simalu or to Acheen Head an undoubted ridge, for the floor of the Sea 
of Bengal to the westward is 2,000 fathoms deep, and that of the Andaman 
Sea to the eastward is in some places at as great a depth. Whether 
any portion of the now submarine sections of the southern, or Nicobars half 
of this ridge has ever been subaerial it is difiicult to say but it seems 
likely from its present physiographical configuration that the most recent 
land connection must have been between the northern or Andaman half 
of the ridge and the adjacent Indo-Chinese district of Arracan. 
Table Island, the most northerly member of the Coco group, and 
lying 45 miles north of Landfall, is about a mile across and is rather 
longer than broad, with a considerable outlying islet. Slipper Island, 
at its north-west coimer; southward, across a strait about two miles 
wide, lies the Great Coco some 9 miles long from north to south and 
about 2j across at the widest part with several small islets off both its 
east and west coasts and with a very considerable outlying islet, Jerry 
Island, at its southern extremity ; finally, some 6 miles south-west of 
Great Coco, and 30 miles north of Landfall, is the Little Coco about 2 j 
miles long from north to south and j to ^ a mile wide. 
Through the kindness of Capt. Hoskyn, R.N., the writer, in com¬ 
pany with Dr. Alcock of H. M. I. M. “ Investigator,” has been able 
to visit the group on two occasions. On Nov. 30th and Dec. 1st, 1889, 
Table Island was examined. On Dec. 2nd, 1889, a naturalist’s party, 
which the writer was privileged to join, landed on Great Coco and re¬ 
mained encamped on a small cleared hill in its north-eastern peninsula 
until Dec. 8th. From Nov. 14th till Nov. 23rd, 1890, a similar parity, of 
which the writer again was a member, was encamped on a sandy spit 
covered with coco-nut trees at the south end of the island; while be¬ 
tween Nov. 25th and Nov. 30th, 1890, the Little Coco was examined. 
On Table Island is situated the v/ell known lighthouse of this 
name and the western slopes of the main island as well as most of Slip- 
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