454 STONES CARRIED BY TREES, [chap. xx. 



therefore with great interest that I found Chamisso, the 

 justly distinguished naturalist who accompanied Kotzebue, 

 stating that the inhabitants of the Radack Archipelago, a 

 group of lagoon islands in the midst of the Pacific, obtained 

 stones for sharpening their instruments by searching the 

 roots of trees which are cast upon the beach. It will be 

 evident that this 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 excepting that of coral 

 formation, attested by the value which the Inhabitants, 

 who are such bold navigators, attach to a stone of any 

 kind,* — and the slowness of the currents of the open sea, 

 are all considered, the occurrence of pebbles thus trans- 

 ported does appear wonderful. Stones may often be thus 

 carried ; and if the island on which they are stranded 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 from the probability of trees, especially 

 those loaded 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 tree swimming on the water. These facts may 

 possibly throw light on single stones, whether angular 

 or rounded, occasionally 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 

 formed with their long and curved fronds the most shady 

 harbours. 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 Is 

 a large bay-like space, composed of the finest white sand : 

 It is quite level, and Is only covered by the tide at high 

 water ; from this large bay smaller creeks penetrate the 

 surrounding woods. To see a field of glittering white 

 sand, representing water, with the cocoa-nut trees 



* Some natives carried by Kotzebue to Kamtschatka collected stones to take 

 back to their country. 



