CHANGES ofourGLOBE. 



H7 



TION OF 

 XHE SEA. 



adapted to fo denfe a fluid, they would laftly die, and the ocean diminu- 

 would in a little time after, flioot into cryilals of fait and become 

 entirely folid. Rain, dew, and vapours would be formed, every 

 century more and more fparingly, and at laft no vegetation or animal 

 life could be fupported, and would end with the fubverfion of this 



our glob^e. 



I met with one infta 



ly, d 



our 



expedit 



here I 



could fairly obferve, that the ground had been raifed. It is well 

 KnovN^n, and often remarked in the South Sea, that the animalcules 



forming the lithophytes, create in the fea curious ftruaures : they 

 are commonly narrow below, and have as it were only one flalk : 

 tne more they grow, the more they fpread above, fo that fome of 

 them are found above 15 feet high, expanding from, a bafc of two 



or three feet, to 1 8 or 20 on the top, but as the anim.alcules inhabit- 

 ingthefe lithophytes, cannot live out of water, they never extend 



> 



their ilrudure higher than to the waters edge, at low water mark. 

 When we came on the the 3d of July, 1774, to Turtle Illand, 



we law on the reef feveral fuch lithophytes of the abovementioned 

 Jieighth and fize : they were perfecftly abo^ 

 fpreading tops, fom.e 



and 



th 



wer,e already growing; which fhews 



;that 



;i 



7 



ar 



above high 



d befid 





th 



•be now again covered by the fea, half of the ifl 



fliould they 



high 



would 



J 



inly be drowned, with 



trees. 



d th 



e 



.U 



2 



habitations 



\ 



