IN THE COCOS-KEELING ISLANDS. 13 



one : a calm lake-like sea enclosed by a palisade of palm trees 

 on a narrow riband of land. Bly first feelings were those, of 

 surprise at the size of the atoll ; for it was very much smaller 

 than the mental picture I had formed of it from studying 

 the Admiralty chart, and then of wonder that such a speck 

 could hold its own against the relentless ocean, which seemed 

 as if it might wash it away in any angry moment. 



To form by personal observation more clear ideas of coral, 

 formation, and chiefly to note how the struggle between the 

 reef-makers and the waves had been going during the past 

 forty-three years, and perhaps the pride of saying I had 

 lived on a reef, Keing the objects of my coming, no amount, 

 of dissimilarity from conceived ideas could disappoint me, or 

 cause me to regret my visit ; but I could not help thinking, 

 that it was a woe-begone spot to choose for a perpetual home, 

 and a limited field to expend one's energies on. 



Mr. G. C. Ross, the proprietor, shortly came on board, and 

 with the most hearty greeting welcomed me ; he rowed me 

 ashore, and, without power of gainsay, installed me as guest in, 

 his comfortable home, for I was the first European who, not 

 by compulsion of weather or other disaster, but really of set 

 purpose, had during that period visited his island. We sat 

 far into the night talking together, and I scarcely know which 

 of us seemed most eager to learn. The rapid question and 

 reply shot between us incessantly to the early hours, and as 

 we sat and talked, it was with an eerie feeling that I felt the 

 very foundations of the land thrill under my feet at every dull, 

 boom of the surf on the outward barrier — I conveying to my, 

 host's household all that was strangest and most interesting 

 from the busy centres of civilisation, in politics (a far cry to 

 them), in discovery and in invention, all that was newest from: 

 the outer and, to them, far-off world ; he relating to me the 

 thrilling domestic annals of his island domain. 



Half a century had elapsed since his grandfather, descended 

 of an old Scottish family wrecked in the troublous times of 

 1745, having brought an adventurous seafaring life to a close 

 in command of one of the vessels stationed in the Java Sea, 

 for the protection of British interests during our occupation 

 of that island, had landed in December, 1825, and virtually 

 taken possession of the group. His intention was to make 

 3 



