Dr Charnisso on Coral Islands qf tlit Padjic Ocean. W 
and at a much later period, when the work has been long since 
completed, man also appears, builds his hnt on the fruitful soil 
formed by the corruption of the leaves of the trees, and calls 
himself lord and proprietor of this new creation. 
In the preceding account, we have seen how the exterior 
edge of a sub-marine coral edifice first approaches the surface 
of the, water, and how this reef gradually assumes the proper- 
ties of land ; the island, therefore, necessarily has a circular 
form, and, in the middle of it an inclosed lake. This lake, how- 
ever, is not entirely inclosed ; (and it could not be, for, without 
supply from the sea, it would soon be dried up by the rays of 
the sun) ; but the exterior wall consists of a great number of 
.smaller islands, which are separated from each other by some- 
times larger, sometimes smaller spaces. The number of these 
islets amounts, in the larger coral islands, to sixty ; and between 
them it is not so deep, but that it becomes dry at the time of 
ebb. The interior sea has, in the middle, generally a depth of 
from thirty to five and thirty fathoms ; but on all sides towards 
the land, the depth gradually decreases. In those seas where 
the constant monsoons prevail, where consequently the waves 
beat only on one side of the reef or island, it is natural that this 
side of the reef, exposed to the unremitting fury of the ocean, 
should be formed chiely by broken olF blocks of coral, and 
fragments of shells, and first rise above the elements that creat- 
ed it. It is only these islands, respecting the formation and 
nature of which we hitherto know any thing with certainty ; 
we are still almost entirely without any observations on those 
in the Indian and Chinese sea, which lie in the regions of the 
six months monsoons. From the charts given of them, it is. to 
be inferred, that every side is equally advanced in formation. 
The lee-side of such a coral-reef in the Pacific Ocean, which is 
governed by the constant monsoons, frequently does not shew 
itself above the water, when the opposite side, from time imme- 
morial, has attained perfection in the atmospheric region.:; the 
former reef is even interrupted pn many places by intervals 
tolerably broad, and of the same depth as the inner sea, which 
have been left by nature, like open gates for the exploring mari- 
ner to enter the internal calm and secure harbour. In their 
external form the coral islands do not resemble each other ; 
