208 VOYAGE TO THE 



ing sharks and dolphins, which are taken at sea, and 

 guard-fish, which are often seen in the harbour. Those 

 frequenting the reefs belong principally to the genera 

 chsetodon and labrus. A cliromis, a beautiful small 

 fish, was noticed in the waters which inundated the 

 rice fields. 



Upon the reefs are several asterice. These animals 

 are furnished with long spiny tentaculae, and are in 

 the habit of concealing their bodies in the hollow parts 

 of the coral, and leaving their tentaculae to be washed 

 about and partake of the waving motion of the sea ; 

 and to a person unacquainted with the zoophytes which 

 form the coral, they might be supposed to be the ani- 

 mals connected with its structure. Lieutenant Bel- 

 cher remarks of these reefs that a great change must 

 have taken place in them since they were visited by 

 the Alceste and Lyra, as he never observed any coral 

 reefs apparently so destitute of animation as those 

 which surround Loo Choo. The sea anemone and 

 other zoophytes were very scarce. 



We saw no shells of any value. A few cardium, 

 trochus, and strombus were brought me by An-yah, 

 and the haliotis was seen on the beach ; but the his- 

 tory of this island states that the mother of pearl, 

 large flat shells nearly transparent, and cowries, formed 

 part of the tribute to Japan. An-yah, however, as- 

 sured me there were no pearl shells upon the coast. 



The Climate of Loo Choo must be very mild, from 

 the nature of the dwelling-houses and the dress of the 

 people ; the mean temperature of the air, for the fort- 

 night which we passed in the harbour, was 70^. Un- 

 like the Typa, we here experienced no great transi- 

 tions, but an almost uniform temperature, which dissi- 

 pated all the sickness the Typa had occasioned. We 



