484 



CHARLES DARWIN 



The next day I employed myself in examining the very in- 

 teresting, yet simple structure and origin of these islands. 

 The water being unusually smooth, I waded over the outer 

 flat of dead rock as far as the living mounds of coral, on 

 ► which the swell of the open sea breaks. In some of the 

 gullies and hollows there were beautiful green and other col- 

 oured fishes, and the form and tints of many of the zoophytes 

 were admirable. It is excusable to grow enthusiastic over 

 the infinite numbers of organic beings with which the sea of 

 the tropics, so prodigal of life, teems ; yet I must confess I 

 think those naturalists who have described, in well-known 

 words, the submarine grottoes decked with a thousand beau- 

 ties, have indulged in rather exuberant language. 



April 6th. — I accompanied Captain Fitz Roy to an island 

 at the head of the lagoon : the channel was exceedingly intri- 

 cate, winding through fields of delicately branched corals. 

 We saw several turtle and two boats were then employed in 

 catching them. The water was so clear and shallow, that al- 

 though at first a turtle quickly dives out of sight, yet in a 

 canoe or boat under sail, the pursuers after no very long 

 chase come up to it. A man standing ready in the bow, at 

 this moment dashes through the water upon the turtle's back; 

 then clinging with both hands by the shell of its neck, he is 

 carried away till the animal becomes exhausted and is se- 

 cured. It was quite an interesting chase to see the two boats 

 thus doubling about, and the men dashing head foremost 

 into the water trying to seize their prey. Captain Moresby 

 informs me that in the Chagos archipelago in this same 

 ocean, the natives, by a horrible process, take the shell from 

 the back of the living turtle. " It is covered with burning 

 charcoal, which causes the outer shell to curl upwards ; it is 

 then forced off with a knife, and before it becomes cold 

 flattened between boards. After this barbarous process the 

 animal is suffered to regain its native element, where, after 

 a certain time, a new shell is formed; it is, however, too 

 thin to be of any service, and the animal always appears 

 languishing and sickly." 



When we arrived at the head of the lagoon, we crossed a 

 narrow islet, and found a great surf breaking on the wind- 

 ward coast. I can hardly explain the reason, but there is to 



