THE PACIFIC OCEAN. 223 



Perhaps there is another caufe, which, if allowed, will ^777- 



accelerate the increafe of thefe iflands as much as any other; ^ , — -* 



and will alfo account for the fea having receded from thofe 

 elevated rocks before-mentioned. This is, the fpreading of 

 the coral bank, or reef, into the fea ; which, in my opi- 

 nion, is continually, though imperceptibly, affected. The 

 waves receding, as the reef grows in breadth and height, 

 leave a dry rock behind, ready for the reception of the 

 broken coral and fand, and every other depofit neceffary 

 for the formation of land fit for the vegetation of plants. 



In this manner, there is little doubt, that, in time, the 

 whole reef will become one ifland ; and, I think, it will ex- 

 tend gradually inward, either from the increafe of the 

 iflots already formed ; or from the formation of new ones, 

 upon the beds of coral, within the inclofed lake, if once 

 they increafe fo as to rife above the level of the fea. 



After leaving Palmerfton's Ifland, 1 fleered Weft, with a 

 view to make the beft of my way to Annamooka. We ftill 

 continued to have variable winds, frequently between the 

 North and Weft, with fqualls, fome thunder, and much 

 rain. During thefe fliowers, which were, generally, very 

 copious, we faved a confiderable quantity of water; and 

 finding that we could get a greater fupply by the rain, in 



" great numbers, had already formed, by their rotten parts, little rifings or eminences, 

 " which, in time, from the fame caufe, may become fmall hills. Whereas, on the firft 

 *' iflot, the trees being lefs numerous, no fuch thing had, as yet, happened. Neverthe- 

 ** lefs, on that little fpot, the manner of formation was more plainly pointed out. 

 " For, adjoining to it, was a fmall ifle, which had, doubtlefs, been very lately formed ■ 

 *' as it was not, as yet, covered with any trees, but had a great many fhrubs, fome 

 " of which were growing among pieces of coral that the fea had thrown up. There 

 " was Itill a more fure proof of this method of formation a little farther on, where 

 " two patches of fand, about fifty yards long, and a foot or eighteen inches high,, 

 *' lay upon the reef, but not, as yet, furniflied with a fingle bufli, or tree." 



one 



