WE STRIKE ON A CORAL REEF. 183 



see many round massive heads of brain-coral, Mean- 

 d/rina, and other beautiful branching forms, Astrea^ 

 hundreds of massive and tulnilar sponges, and broad 

 sea-fans, Gorgonias, as we glided over these miniature 

 forests and wide gardens beneath the sea. 



A clear sunset gave a good promise of an unusu- 

 ally pleasant night, and the stars twinkled brightly 

 as the evening came on, but the dull \-ibrations of the 

 tifa and the continual crashings of the gongs, "\^-ith 

 now and then a mid, prolonged shout from one of 

 the oarsmen, and a similar chorus li'om the others, 

 kept me awake till late in the night. Finally, just 

 as a troubled sleep was creeping over me, there was 

 a sudden shout from every native, and our round-bot- 

 tomed prau gave a frightful lurch, first to starboard 

 and then to larboard. All was confusion and uproar, 

 and my fii-st waking thought A\'as that we must have 

 run into the back of some sea-monster, and that, per- 

 haps, the sea-serpent was no myth after all, for when 

 only such savages are seen on the land for men, it is 

 not unreasonable that hideous, antedilu^^.an monsters 

 must l)e tAosting theii* long, snaky forms beneath in 

 the deep, dark ocean. After awhile the danger was 

 explained : we had struck on a coral reef, though we 

 were at least half a mile from the shore. This indi- 

 cates the width, at this place, of the platform of coral 

 which encircles the whole island. The heavy swell 

 which had scarcely affected the boat while afloat now 

 made her roll almost over the moment her keel 

 touched the rock. Such rough, projecting coral reefs 

 are very dangerous to the best boats, for in a few 

 moments thev will frequently grind a hole through 



