THE PACIFIC OCEAN. 221: 



There are difFerent opinions, amonefl: infrenious theories, '777. 



r ^ o <j) April, 



concerning the formation of fuch low illands as Pahner- ^ , — -* 



lion's. Some will have it, that, in remote times, thefe Httle 

 feparate heads or iflots were joined, and formed one conti- 

 nued and more elevated tracft of land, which the fea, in the 

 revolution of ages, has wafhed away, leaving only the 

 higher grounds ; which, in time, alfo, will, according to 

 this theory, ftiare the fame fate. Another conjedure is, 

 that they have been thrown up by earthquakes, and are the 

 eflfedl of internal convulfions of the globe. A third opinion, 

 and which appears to me as the mod probable one, main- 

 tains, that they are formed from llioals, or coral banks, and, 

 of confequence, increafing. Without mentioning the feve- 

 ral arguments made ufe of in fupport of each of thefe, 

 fyftems, I fhall only defcribe fuch parts of Palmerflon's. 

 Illand, as fell under my own obfervation when Ilanded. 

 upon it. 



The foundation is, every where, a coral rock ; the foil" 

 is coral fund, with which the decayed vegetables have, but 

 in a few places, intermixed, fo as to form any thing like 

 mould. From this, a very ftrong prefumption may be 

 drawn, that thefe little fpots of land, are not of very an- 

 cient date, nor the remains of larger iflands now buried in 

 the ocean. For, upon either of thefe fuppofitions, more 

 mould muft have been formed, or fome part of the original 

 foil would have remained. Another circumftance con- 

 firmed this do(ftrine of the increafe of thefe iflots. We 

 found upon them, far beyond the prefent reach of the 

 fiea, even in the moft violent llorms, elevated coral rocks, 

 which, on examination, appeared to have been perforated, 

 in the fame manner that the rocks are, that now compofe 

 the outer edge of the reef. This evidently iliews, that the, 



fea. 



