Coral Architects 



reef of Levuka, the old Fiji capital. We learn 

 that the reef itself consists mainly of dead 

 coral — "rough, uninteresting, shapeless lime- 

 stones, with a very small covering of seaweed." 

 But after about a quarter of a mile of difficult 

 walking, the travellers drew near to the ** roaring 

 surf on the outside," where " fingery lumps of 

 beautiful live coral began to appear, of the palest 

 lavender-blue colour." By the time that they were 

 nearly within touch of the spray, '' the whole floor 

 was one mass of living branches of coral." 



It was not, however, until they ventured actually 

 into the water, beyond the outer verge of the 

 ''great sea-wall," that they could see for them- 

 selves the true nature of the reef. 



This was the description given. " You look 

 down, and see a steep irregular wall, extending 

 deeper into the ocean than the eye can follow, 

 and broken into lovely grottoes and holes and 

 canals, through which small resplendent fishes 

 of the brightest blue or gold flit fitfully between 

 the lumps of coral. The sides of the natural 

 grottoes are entirely covered with endless forms 

 of tender-coloured coral, but all beautiful, and 

 all more or less of the fingery or branching 

 species, known as madrepores. It is really im- 

 possible to draw or describe the sight." 



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