246 THE INFLITENCE OF INANIMATE SUREOUNDING?. 



Here, to the west and north, the reef, so far as it belongs 

 to the island of Babelthuap, may be regarded as a quite 

 characteristically formed barrier reef. According to the pre- 

 vailing theory — which, however, I am contending against as 

 to its general validity — we ought to infer that a subsidence has 

 lately taken place in this island, since it is in this way only 

 that a barrier reef, as it is said, can originate. I of course 

 cannot admit this proposition as correct, since I dispute the 

 whole argument on which it is founded. But, quite irrespec- 

 tive of this, the eastern reef at the northern end of Babelthuap 

 displays certain peculiarities of structure which directly contra- 

 dict the theory of subsidence. 



For instance, while the western reef stands off from the 

 shore, so that a true channel is formed, navigable for sea-going 

 vessels, this is by no means the case on the north-eastern side 

 of the island. By means of the theodolite, I accurately mea- 

 sured its exact width almost exactly opposite to the village of 

 Aibukit; here the outer reef was distant not more than 1,200 

 feet in a north-westerly direction — at right angles, that is, to the 

 shore. So far as I could see with the telescope of my instru- 

 ment, both to north and south, the distance between the shore 

 and reef, as calculated from triangulation, was nowhere much 

 more, and it is not till about the parallel of Athemal that 

 it seems to become greater on the eastern coast, according 

 to Friedrichsen's map. But as the distances and heights of 

 hills are, on the whole, very incorrectly given by Friedrichsen, T 

 see no urgent reason for giving unconditional credence to his 

 map in this particular ; however, be that as it may, it is cer- 

 tain, by my own measurements, that in the northern part of 

 the island the outer reef is not more than from four to five hun- 

 dred paces from the shore. Between them, moreover, there is 

 no reef-channel. The outer reef is no doubt a little raised 

 above the general level of the reef, but not enough to form a 

 channel which ships can navigate ; at high tide it is possible to 

 cross it in boats, and in many places it might then be desig- 

 nated as a boat channel. But at low ebbs it is easy to see that 

 no such charmel, properly speaking, exists.; in many places it 

 would be possible to cross the whole reef on foot, almost dry- 



