State Library of NSW
[Page 72]
Thu. 27th Feb.[Sept.]We are through an archipelago of coral islands – the Maldives.
At about midday we passed very close to a couple of beautiful little islets of purely coral origin – we were so close that we could have thrown a biscuit across the reef to the natives on the beach.
We entered through a gap in the reef and anchored in the centre of an enormous circle of coral with islands threaded on to it here and there for all the world like green beads on a white necklet string. There are several gaps in the reef but there is nevertheless no hope of getting out if a war-ship should happen along.
This group of atolls is only a few hundred miles from Colombo and one would scarcely imagine even "Wolf" having the impudence to anchor like this in such a place.
A couple of dhows are hanging around in the offing.
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