The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-05-04

= broken on one side, giving free pas
- the sea, but in the course OF time
'enus TO become completely closed. The
s aho the tides deposit SAND upon the
- VI the coral formation. end vegetation
wen trees Of good size-gradualv takes
'ooe. some of the atolIs are COMPOSITE
atolls within atous as f. uero-+ba -
"'s being generally detached reefs which
stand about the main structure IN q rough
~ outlined circle.
ohessor Agassiz says that the lagoons
~ Maldlves were richer in their contri-
U'ioh 10 the study OF coral thar any 9TH
= ne ever visited. The expedition started
= 1hls country last October, and covered
some LOO miles after it reached the NAL
uiVes- The steamer Amra was chartered
from the British India Steam Navigation
company. and equipped with a sounding
machine built specially for the purposes of
oeep-sea investigation, a second sounding
machine fer more moderate depths of
water in the lagoons within the coral reefs.
and with q steam winch and drum for sea-
towing and dredging. Interesting informa-
ton regarding the topography Of the bot
tom of the ocean in the vicinity of the
Maidive atolls was obtained from the
~soundings made possible by this apparatus
the general conclusion being that the
atolls rose from a broad level plateau which
forms the bed Of the sea in this locality.
The greatest depths OF the lagoons Of the
composite coral atolls were found TO be
not much more than forty fathoms. In
some places the variations OF the floor OF
the ocean were very abrupt, the depth Of
the water above them changing from eight
to over twenty fathoms in short distances.
But In the center of the channel between
two OF the islands. 76s fathoms of water
was found, and in a wide channel else
where the sounding reached 1892 fathoms-
the latter depths representing, apparently,
the normal depth Of the plateau.
h smaller atoIls vary in size, DIR.
Agassiz found. from a couple Of hundred
feet in diameter 10 seven miles in length.
Numerous nascent atolls were observed,
many of which exist as fats, bars or mere
rings which do not rise more than five or
six fathoms from the top Of the plateau,
others coming within from three to seven
fathoms Of the surface Of the sea, Others
again which form rings or bars just awash
or with a foot or two of sea over the rim,
and. finally. some rings that are partially
awash, but with little sandbanks projecting
a few inches above the surface. The shape
Of these islands is not necessarily circular;
1t varies greatly and is indirectly affected
by the topography of the sea bottom.
Some are ellipticaI, crescent or pear
shaped. while in others the lagoons have
been formed by the growth Of coral patches
rising at a short distance parallel with
the outer ~reef-which have become Joined.
The strength of the winds that prevail
among the Maldives has much to do, DR..
Agassiz says, with the shape that the
Islands assume. There are none of the great
breaker which pound upon the reefs of
the central and western Pacific to fashion
the Maldives. The beaches are unusually
steep and are rarely more than five or six
feet high and the reef rocks are Of the
most modern character and are so worn
as to indicate that they once rose three or
four feet higher than at present. The
growth Of corals in the lagoons of the Nal
dives is very fne-in marked contrast with
the scanty growth in the Pacific groups
where DR.. Agassiz's previous expeditions
have. for the most part. taken him. They
are found in great quantities on the outer
slopes of the ring-ike bits of land-either
thrust out from the edge or even far up on
the little sharp beaches. and down as far
as a depth Of from eight to twelve fathoms.
Altogether the report Of DR.. Agassiz's re-
searches which he has in preparation for
the Harvard Museum Of Comparative
| Zoology promises TO be an unusually inter-
esting and valuable contribution to the lit
erature of this special branch Of natural