348 BARRIER REEF. 



summit of the height, dwelling in thought upon 

 the adventurous career of the great navigator, 

 when suddenly, as if by magic, the whole scene 

 below and around was obscured, and we found 

 ourselves wrapped in a dense cloud of vapour, 

 which came sweeping across the island, drenching 

 us to the skin, with a rapidity which spoke 

 volumes for the penetrating character of an Aus- 

 tralian fog. Cold and shivering we hailed the 

 temporary re-appearance of the sun with delight, 

 and our clothes were dried almost as speedily as they 

 had been wetted. Our satisfaction was however 

 but of short duration, as the same agreeable opera- 

 tion, of alternate drenching and drying, occurred 

 several times during our stay on the Peak. 



The opening through which Captain Cook passed 

 out to sea, bore about N. by E. 9 miles, the outer line 

 of the Barrier Reef, curving from thence to the N.W., 

 and following the trend of the land. When this sin- 

 gular wall of coral, the most extensive perhaps in the 

 world, is surveyed, it will I think be found to 

 follow the direction of the coast it fronts with such 

 exactness, as to leave little doubt that the vast 

 base on which rests the work of the reef-buildinof 

 Polypifers, was, contrary to the opinion which I 

 am aware prevails, upheaved at the same time with 

 the neighbouring coast of the Australian continent, 

 which it follows for a space of upwards of a hundred 

 miles. 



From the elevation on which I stood, I had an 



