BEAUTY OF CORAL REEFS. 1 17 



potatoes were now purchased, though at rather a 

 heavy price, and issued to all hands in lieu of salt 

 provisions ; and the change produced by this diet, 

 even on the worst cases, in a few days was really 

 marvellous. 



I had hitherto been rather disappointed by tbe 

 aspect of the coral reefs, so far as beauty was con- 

 cerned ; and though very wonderful, I had not seen 

 in them much to admire.* One day, however, on 

 the lee side of one of the outer reefs, near the 

 wreck of the Ferguson, I had reason to change my 

 opinion. In a small bight of the inner edge of this 

 reef was a sheltered nook, where the extreme slope 

 was well exposed, and where every coral was in 

 full life and luxuriance. Smooth round masses of 

 maeandrina and astraea were contrasted with deli- 

 cate leaf-like and cup-shaped expansions of expla- 

 naria, and with an infinite variety of branching 

 rnadreporae and seriatoporse, some with mere finger- 

 shaped projections, others with large branching 

 stems, and others again exhibiting an elegant as- 

 semblage of interlacing twigs, of the most delicate 

 and exquisite workmanship. Their colours were 

 unrivalled — vivid greens, contrasting with more 

 sober browns and yellows, mingled with rich shades 

 of purple, from pale pink to deep blue. Bright 

 red, yellow, and peach-coloured nulliporae clothed 



* Mr. Darwin, in his ' Researches/ expresses somewhat of 

 the same disappointment. (See his account of the Keeling 

 Islands, p. 547.) 



