STONES TRANSPORTED BY TREES. 255 



must have happened several times, since laws have 

 been established that such stones belong to the 

 chief, and a punishment is inflicted on any one 

 who attempts to steal them. When the isolated 

 position of these small islands in the midst of a 

 vast ocean — their great distance from any land ex- 

 cepting that of coral formation, attested by the value 

 which the inhabitants, who are such bold naviga- 

 tors, attach to a stone of any kind,* and the slow- 

 ness of the cun-ents of the open sea, are all con- 

 sidered, the occuiTence of pebbles thus transported 

 does appear wonderful. Stones may often be thus 

 carried ; and if the island on which they are strand- 

 ed is constructed of any other substance besides 

 coral, they would scarcely attract attention, and 

 their origin, at least, would never be guessed. 

 Moreover, this agency may long escape discovery, 

 fi-om the probability of trees, especially those load- 

 ed with stones, floating beneath the surface. In 

 the channels of Tierra del Fuego large quantities 

 of drift timber are cast upon the beach, yet it is 

 extremely rare to meet a ti-ee swimming on the 

 water. These facts may possibly throw light on 

 single stones, whether angular or rounded, oc- 

 casionally found embedded in fine sedimentary 

 masses. 



During another day I visited West Islet, on 

 which the vegetation was perhaps more luxuriant 

 than on any other. The cocoa-nut trees generally 

 grow separate, but here the young ones flourished 

 beneath their tall parents, and foiTned, with their 

 long and curv^ed fronds, the most shady arbours. 

 Those alone who have tried it know how delicious 

 it is to be seated in such shade, and drink the cool, 

 pleasant fluid of the cocoa-nut. In this island there 



* Some natives carried by Kotzebue to Kamtschatka collected 

 stones to take back to their country. 



