THE PACIFIC OCEAN. 275 



corals leave off building higher; sea-shells, frag- 

 ments of coral, sea-hedgehog shells, and their broken- 

 off prickles, are united by the burning sun through 

 the medium of the cementing calcareous sand, which 

 has arisen from the pulverization of the above-men- 

 tioned shells, into one whole or solid stone, which, 

 strengthened by the continual throwing up of new 

 materials, gradually increases in thickness, till it at 

 last becomes so high that it is covered only during 

 some seasons of the year by the spring-tides. The 

 heat of the sun so penetrates the mass of stone when 

 it is dry, that it splits in many places, and breaks off 

 in flakes. These flakes, so separated, are raised one 

 upon another by the waves, at the time of high- 

 water. The always-active surf throws blocks of coral 

 (frequently of a fathom in length, and three or four 

 feet thick), and shells of marine animals, between 

 and upon the foundation stones. After this the cal- 

 careous sand lies undisturbed, and offers to the seeds 

 of trees and plants cast upon it by the waves, a soil 

 upon which they rapidly grow, to overshadow its 

 dazzling white surface. Entire trunks of trees, 

 which are carried by the rivers from other countries 

 and islands, find here, at length, a resting-place, after 

 their long wanderings; with these come some small 

 animals, such as lizards and insects, as the first inha- 

 bitants. Even before the trees form a wood, the real 

 sea-birds nestle there; strayed land-birds take refuge 

 in the bushes; and at a much later period, when 

 the work has been long since completed, man also 

 appears, builds his hut on the fruitful soil formed 

 by the corruption of the leaves of the trees, and 



