Coral Reefs and Islands, 271 



us that no one would have welcomed fresh discoveries more 

 heartily than he, even should they lead to the setting aside of 

 his work ;" and knowing that we are all for the truth and 

 right theory, he has reason to believe that those who have 

 been led to object to Darwin's conclusions will be pleased to 

 have their objections reviewed by one who has a personal know- 

 ledge of many of the facts, 



II. Subsidence not ordinarily a Fact, because Methods of Origin 



have been brought forward thai do not require its aid. 



It is urged that, while subsidence may have happened in 

 several cases, it is not at all necessary to the making of 

 barrier-reefs and atolls ; that " subsidence has been invoked 

 because no other solution of the problem seemed admissible ;" 

 that the " solution " by subsidence " is only an inference 

 resting on no positive proofs" *. 



a. Darwin's usual methods were not such as these words 

 imply, and we think that he was true to those methods in his 

 treatment of coral-island facts. Darwin can hardly be said to 

 have "invoked" subsidence. Subsidence forced itself upon 

 his attention. He saw evidence that it was a fact, and the 

 theory came ready-made to him. The proof of subsidence from 

 the relations in form, structure, and history between atolls 

 and the large barrier-islands, like the Grambier Group, Raiatea, 

 Bolabola, and Hogoleu, scarcely admitted, he says, of a doubt; 

 and other facts were all in harmony with it. This, his chief 

 argument, with the enforcing evidence in my Report (see § § 

 4 and 10 of Part I. of this paper) is not set aside and not men- 

 tioned in the Address from which the above sentences are 

 cited. 



b. Darwin observes that " from the nature of things it is 

 scarcely possible to find direct proof of the subsidence," 

 recognizing the fact that subsidence, unlike elevation, puts 

 direct testimony out of sight. But still it has left evidence 

 which he perceived and thought convincing ; and this stands, 

 whatever virtue there may be in other explanations. 



Moreover, we have now direct testimony for subsidence 

 from the facts brought forward (for another purpose) by Mr. 

 Murray, as is set forth further on. 



III. The Occurrence of cases of Elevation in Regions of Atolls 



and Barrier-Reefs. 



The fact that elevated reefs and other evidences of eleva- 



* Address, page 24, 

 U2 



