REMARKS ON A FLOATING ISLAND, 229 



what Stage of its altitude it was that a pole of 

 ten feet was thrust through it, without meeting 

 with the bottom. Phenomena to which the name 

 of floating islands has been given, are found 

 in different places; and are of various kinds, as 

 owing their origin to different causes : but I think 

 it rather improbable, that any thing deserving 

 the appellation of an island should rest its 

 foundation upon a few floating reeds, as sug- 

 gested in the preamble before recited. 



In the investigation of phenomena of this kind, 

 it may be proper to premise, that most, if not 

 aU, living vegetables (even such as grow wholly 

 under water) contain a sufficient quantity of air 

 to cause them to float, when detached from the 

 earth, in which they have fixed their roots. 

 When deprived of the vital principle, and ex- 

 posed to the action of water, the air is gradually 

 discharged, and the decayed vegetable matter 

 sinks at last to the bottom : but in some cases 

 the dead vegetable fibre is so far comminuted, 

 and its specific gravity so little exceeding that 

 of water, that by help of a small portion of 

 aerial fluid, it remains suspended in the water, 

 forming a pulpy or semifluid mass. 



In some places a stratum of peat earth, 

 strongly matted with roots of grass, &c. may 



