434 KEELING ISLAND. [CHAP. xx. 



CHAPTER XX. 



KEELING ISLAND : CORAL FORMATIONS. 



Keeling Island Singular appearance Scanty Flora Transport of Seeds 

 Birds and Insects Ebbing and flowing Springs Fields of dead 

 .Coral Stones transported iii the roots of Trees Great Crab Stinging 

 Corals Coral-eating Fish Coral Formations Lagoon Islands, or 

 Atolls Depth at which reef-building Corals can live Vast Areas in- 

 terspersed with low Coral Islands Subsidence of their foundations 

 Bariier Reefs Fringing Reefs Conversion of Fringing Reefs into 

 Barrier Reefs, and into Atolls Evidence of changes iu Level 

 Breaches in Barrier Reefs Maldiva Atolls ; their peculiar structure 

 Dead :md submerged Reefs Areas of subsidence and elevation Dis- 

 tribution of Volcanoes Subsidence slow, and vast in amount. 



April 1st. We arrived in view of the Keeling or Cocos Islands, 

 situated in the Indian Ocean, and about six hundred miles distant 

 from the coast of Sumatra. This is one of the lagoon-islands (or 

 atolls) of coral formation, similar to those in the Low Archipelago 

 which we passed near. When the ship was in the channel at the 

 entrance, Mr. Liesk, an English resident, came off in his boat. 

 The history of the inhabitants of this place, in as few words as 

 possible, is as follows. About nine years ago, Mr. Hare, a worth- 

 less character, brought from the East Indian archipelago a number 

 of Malay slaves, which now, including children, amount to more 

 than a hundred. Shortly afterwards, Captain Ross, who had before 

 visited these islands in his merchant-ship, arrived from England, 

 bringing with him his family and goods for settlement : along with 

 him came Mr. Liesk, who had been a mate in his vessel. The 

 Malay slaves soon ran away from the islet on which Mr. Hare was 

 settled, and joined Captain Boss's party. Mr. Hare upon this was 

 ultimately obliged to leave the place. 

 The Malays are now nominally in a state of freedom, and cer- 



