'J.OZ THE OCEAN. 



liko submarine gardens or shrubberies, beneath the 

 surface ; or presenting here and there a little bank of 

 broken coral and sand, over which the rolling wave 

 occasionally breaks ;" while others exist in the more 

 advanced state that I have just described, the main 

 bank sufficiently elevated to be permanently pro- 

 tected from the waves, and already clothed with 

 verdure, and the lagoon enclosed by the narrow 

 bulwark of the coral reef. Though the rampart thus 

 reared is sufficient to preserve the inner waters in a 

 peaceful and mirror-like calmness, it must not be 

 supposed that all access to them from the sea is 

 excluded. It almost invariably happens that in the 

 line of reef, one or more openings occur, which, 

 though sometimes narrow and intricate, so as scarcely 

 to allow the passage of a native canoe, are not un- 

 frequently of sufficient width and depth to permit 

 the free ingress of large ships. This is a very re- 

 markable instance of the Divine care over the little 

 creatures which rear these solid structures ; they 

 appear to be endowed with an instinctive knowledge, 

 that if the reef were carried uninterruptedly along 

 from one point to another, so as completely to shut 

 in the lagoon, the water within would soon become 

 unfit to support their existence, and would ultimately 

 be dried up. The advantage to man of these 

 openings is very great ; without them the islands 

 might smile invitingly, but in vain ; no access could 

 be obtained to them by shipping, through the tremen- 

 dous surf by which their shores are lashed ; but 

 by these entrances the lovely lagoons are converted 

 into the most q^uiet, safe and commodious havens 



