INTRODUCTION TO THE SHIP 47 



The other officers of the Survey had been left in 

 some out-of-the-way island as a boat-party, so that 

 I did not come to terms with them on this 

 occasion. 



I found the surgeon-naturalist's quarters on the 

 Investigator to be, as things on board ship go, 

 palatial. 



The surgeons equipment and all the gallipots 

 were lodged in a little cabin between decks, which 

 was not meant for work ; but the natural history work- 

 room, which was on deck a little forward of mid- 

 ships, was quite lo feet long and 8 feet broad, with 

 windows all along one side, and in this spacious 

 room I soon learned how to stow all my worldly 

 belongings and still find infinite space for books, 

 specimens, microscopes, aquaria, and all the machinery 

 and material of my work. I could even on occasion, 

 without disturbing my gear or knocking-off work, find 

 room for any officer who did not wish to emphasise 

 the fact that he was off duty. 



Soon after I had settled myself in these capacious 

 and convenient quarters, Captain Carpenter himself 

 took me to see the coral-reefs in the north bay of 

 Port Blair harbour : it was my first introduction to a 

 growing coral-reef, and I only wish that I could 

 describe a small part of what I saw. 



I suppose everyone nowadays knows that coral is 

 the calcareous external skeleton of lowly organised 



