CHANGES 



Of 



OUR GLOBE. 



We found low ifles, conneded by reefs of coral rocks 



w« 



with iflands more 



1 

 r 



elevated, fome without a reef, and others fur 



r 



rounded by a reef of lithophytes. 



All the low ifles feem to me to be a produdion of the fea, or ra-: 

 ther its inhabitants,- the polype-like animals forming 



the 1 



phytes. Thefe animalcules raife their habitation gradually from a 

 fmall bafe, always fpreading more and more, in proportion as the 

 llrudure grows higher.. 



" X 



The 



a kind of lime mixed 



with fome animal fubilance. I have feen thefe large ftrudures in 

 all flages, and of various extent. . Near Turtle-Iiland, we found, at 



few miles dl{lance», and to leeward of 



conliderable larg 



reef, over which the fea broke every where,, and no part 



fit 



v/as above water; it.included a large,, deep lagoon. To the Eafl: and 



North-Bail of the Society-Illes, are ^a great many iiles, which, in . 

 fome parts, are above water 3 in others, , the elevated parts are con- 

 nected by reefs, fome of which are dry at low- water, aad others are 



w 



conftantly under water. The elevated parts, confift of a. foil formed, 

 by a fand of fliells and coral rocks, mixed with a light black mould, 

 produced from. putrefied vegetables, and the dung of fea-fov/ls. j and 

 are commonly covered by coco-nut trees and other flirubs, and a. 

 few antifcorbutic plants.. The lower parts- have only a few fhrubs^. 

 and the above plants ; others ftili lower, are wafhed by the fea at: 



high- water,- All thefe iiles are connected, and include a lagoon in 



the 



149 



FORMA- 

 TION OF 

 ISLES., 



I 



