CHAPTER VI. 



CORALS AND CORAL REEFS. 



" Where the sea-egg flames on the coral. 

 And the long-backed breakers croon 



Their endless ocean legend 

 To the lazy locked lagoon. " 



Rudyard Kipling. 



Owing to the fact that there is no very rehable anchorage 

 at Swan Island which suits in all sorts of weather, one 

 has occasionally to dodge round from the bay at its 

 western end, to an anchorage on the southern side of the 

 island or vice versa, according to the direction of the wind. 



When we found ourselves for this reason or another 

 on the southern side, the yacht was anchored about three 

 hundred yards or so outside a miniature barrier-reef, w^hich 

 stretches across the mouth of the little bay, which we have 

 already referred to in a preceding chapter. The water 

 here was between fifty and sixty feet deep, and so 

 marvellously clear that one could see the very smallest 

 object on the bottom with ease. On calm days in the 

 early morning, when as a rule there was not the faintest 

 ripple on the surface, the sun ht up the wonderful world 

 beneath us, till I think we could almost have seen a shrimp 

 moving, either upon or above the sand, or in and ovt 

 among the coral clumps and sea-weed far down below. 



So clear, indeed, was the water here, that the laird " 

 told us that only quite baby sharks would dare to venture 

 into it or care to frequent it, and that it was safe to bathe 

 from the yacht. We made the experiment once, but all 

 the time could never quite get rid of the uncomfortable 



