ON THE FORMATION OF CORAL ISLANDS. 347 



illustration from what has now been described. In 

 the same way, the changes in the level of the land ad- 

 joining to many well-known terrestrial volcanoes which 

 have been accompanied by earthquakes, serve to esta- 

 blish the truth of this explanation ; could any further 

 confirmation of a truth so obvious be required. 



In terminating these remarks on the Coral islands, 

 it will not be uninteresting to observe that analogous 

 appearances occur in the volcanic islands of the African 

 coast, and elsewhere. Secondary limestones are found 

 lying upon the rocks which are the produce of fire, 

 containing marine remains, yet elevated above the 

 surface of the ocean. If the elevation of these strata, 

 abstractedly considered, should be thought to prove 

 nothing more than what may be inferred from the 

 analogous appearances all over the world, it must be 

 recollected that there is here present, not only an 

 obvious and active cause sufficient to raise them from 

 the bottom of the sea, but that the actual exertion of 

 that power in analogous cases, is proved by the phe- 

 nomena of the islands now described. Owing to a 

 higher relative antiquity, or other causes, there may 

 be differences in the results, or in the present appear- 

 ances ; but the strength of the general argument 

 derived from them remains undiminished. The Ber- 

 muda islands, as far as their structure can be inferred 

 from the descriptions of persons, not geologists, pre- 

 sent confirmation still more complete. They are 

 formed of " coral rock and limestone containing 

 shells ;" and the former, or the corals, are found at 

 the higher elevations, the greatest altitude of the land 

 itself being estimated at three hundred feet. 



Since these observations were originally published, 

 they have been confirmed by Moreau de Jones, in the 

 West Indian islands. The facts there visible prove 



