observed "while staying in Cuba. 453 



the turbulence of an ever restless surf, until, in the progress 

 of time, man sees emerging from the ocean, in these warm 

 regions, those reefs, and islets, and kays, which, in the lapse of 

 time, become adapted to sustain on their surfaces both vegetable 

 and animal life. Within the reef new colonies are rearing 

 slowly their habitations, and miniature reefs arise around. 

 But here they appear to have nearly completed their labours, 

 and nature has set limits to their combined operations. They 

 have almost brought their work to that elevation beyond which 

 they are unable to proceed, and henceforward the structure 

 must receive its increase in its breadth alone. At low water, 

 some of these corals are level with the surface, and others 

 are low enough to admit the passage of a boat amongst them. 

 We must tread upon their fan-shaped extremities with cau- 

 tion, else the brittle structure may give way, and lodge us in 

 deeper water than is convenient ; or they may tear and bruise 

 our feet. You may observe that, from their configuration, they 

 offer less resistance to the rising swell than you had antici- 

 pated. They present, not a solid surface, but a partial ob- 

 struction as the water rushes beneath and between their stems ; 

 and you will also perceive that they are arranged somewhat 

 in rows, not parallel with the reef, but at right angles to the 

 coast line, admitting the broken waves to pass amidst them ; 

 and thus for years, perhaps for ages, the thundering and un- 

 ceasing surf may fall harmlessly upon and amongst these 

 singular productions of an animal whose individual labours 

 and organisation are almost imperceptible. 



Amongst the recesses of the coral reefs many fishes conceal 

 themselves, or resort for food, or for safety from the attacks 

 of their various enemies. Here we obtained a fish of excel- 

 lent flavour, the pargo prieto, or mutton-fish, weighing many 

 pounds; and here, also, the lobster retires after his night's 

 feeding among the sea-weed of the Baxo. Our visits to the 

 Baxo and reef, whether in the night or day, always supplied 

 us with amusement, in the infinite variety of interesting objects 

 in natural science. 



Eagerly watching each wave, as it rippled with the rising 

 tide over the white coral sands of the Baxo, were ever to be 

 noticed files of sandpipers ; and these little active fishers con- 

 tinued equally busy through the night as by day. When and 

 where they sleep I know not. We might hear their shrill 

 whistle as we lay beneath our tent, or under the shelter of 

 the sea grapes of the sandhills ; or they would dash swiftly by 

 our torches, as, at midnight, we also waded and scanned each 

 rising wave, with the selfsame objects. In the gray of the 

 morning, as we retired from our fishing labours, we might 



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