1777- THE PACIFIC OCEAX. 289 



larger islands now buried in the ocean. For, upon 

 either of these suppositions, more mould must have 

 been formed, or some part of the original soil would 

 have remained. Another circumstance confirmed 

 this doctrine of the increase of these islots. We found 

 upon them, far beyond the present reach of the sea, 

 even in the most violent storms, elevated coral rocks, 

 which, on examination, appeared to have been per- 

 forated, in the same manner that the rocks are, that 

 now compose the outer edge of the reef. This 

 evidently shows, that the sea had formerly reached so 

 far; and some of these perforated rocks were almost 

 in the centre of the land. 



But the strongest proof of the increase, and from 

 the cause we have assigned, was the gentle gradation 

 observable in the plants round the skirts of the 

 islands ; from within a few inches of high-water mark, 

 to the edge of the wood. In many places, the divi- 

 sions of the. plants, of different growths, were very 

 distinguishable, especially on the lee, or west side. 

 This, I apprehend, to have been the operation of ex- 

 traordinary high tides, occasioned by violent, acci- 

 dental gales from the westward; which have heaped 

 up the sand beyond the reach of common tides. The 

 regular and gentle operation of these latter, again, 

 throw up sand enough to form a barrier against the 

 next extraordinary high tide, or storm, so as to pre- 

 vent its reaching as far as the former had done, and 

 destroying the plants that may have begun to vege- 

 tate from cocoa-nuts, roots, and seed brought thither 

 by birds, or thrown up by the sea. This, doubtless, 

 happens very frequently ; for we found many cocoa- 

 nuts, and some other things, just sprouting up, only 

 a few inches beyond where the sea reaches at present, 

 in places where, it was evident, they could not have 

 had their origin from those, farther in, already arrived 

 at their full growth. At the same time, the increase 

 of vegetables will add fast to the height of this new- 

 created land; as the fallen leaves, and broken 



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