196 THE OCEAN WORLD. 
level tops of the cocoa-nut tree. As a white cloud here and there 
affords a pleasing contrast to the azure sky, so in the lagoon, bands 
of living coral darken the emerald-green water. 
‘The next morning I went ashore on Direction Island. The 
strip of dry land is only a few hundred yards in width ; on the lagoon 
side there was a white calcareous beach, the radiation from which, 
under this sultry climate, was very oppressive. On the outer coast, a 
solid broad flat of coral rock served to break the violence of the open 
sea. Excepting near the lagoon, where there is some sand, the land 
is entirely composed of rounded fragments of coral. In such a loose, 
dry, stony soil, the climate of the intertropical regions alone could 
produce so vigorous a vegetation. On some of the smaller islets 
nothing could be more elegant than the manner in which the young and 
full-grown cocoa-nut trees, without destroying each other’s symmetry, 
were mingled into one wood. A beach of glittering white sand formed 
a border to those fairy spots. 
“The natural history of these islands, from its very paucity, 
possesses peculiar interest. The cocoa-nut tree, at the first glance, 
seems to compose the whole wood ; there are, however, five .or six 
other trees. One of these grows to a very large size, but, from the 
extreme softness of its wood, it is useless ; another sort affords ex- 
cellent timber for ship-building. Besides the trees, the number of 
plants is exceedingly limited, and consist of insignificant weeds. In 
my collection, which includes, I believe, nearly the perfect Flora, 
there are twenty species, without reckoning a moss, lichen, and 
fungus. To this number two trees must be added, one of which was 
not in flower, and the other I only heard of. The latter is a solitary 
tree of its kind, and grows near the beach, where, without doubt, the 
one seed was thrown up by the waves. 
“ The next day I employed myself in examining the very interesting 
yet simple structure and origin of these islands. The water being 
unusually smooth, I waded over the flat of dead rock as far as the 
living mounds of coral, on which the swell of the open sea breaks. 
In some of the gulleys and hollows there were beautiful green and 
other coloured fishes, and the forms and tints of many of the zoophytes 
were admirable. It is excusable to grow enthusiastic over the infinite 
number of organic beings with which the sea of the Tropics, so prodigal 
of life, teems ; yet I must confess, I think those naturalists who have 
described in well-known words the submarine grottoes decked with a 
thousand beauties, have indulged in rather exuberant language. 
“T accompanied Captain Fitzroy to an island at the head of the 
lagoon ; the channel was exceedingly intricate, winding through fields 
