18G 
COEALLiyE KOCKS 
elapsed before -n'o could eraei-ire from this 
labjriuth of Jardiiies and Jardinillos. At night we lav at 
anchor; and m the day we visited those islands or chains 
ot rocks winch were most easily accessible. As we advan.’cd 
castu ard, the sea became less calm, and the position of the 
shoals was marked by water of a milkv colour. On the 
boundary of a sort of gulf between Cayo Fhnnenco and 
.JO do licdras, we found that the temperature of tlie 
frorioo mu augmented suddenly from 23'5“ cent, 
to _o S . Iho geologic constitution of the rocky islets that 
TaroeX"' ^T*) ‘‘‘ttention tlie more 
eainestlj, as I h.ad always ratlicr doubted of the existence of 
those hugm masses of coral whicli are said to rise from tlie 
abyss ot the lacific to tin; surface of the water. It an- 
pearec o me more probable that these enormous masses 
had .some primitive or volcanic rock for a basis, to wliich 
they adhered at small depths. The formation, partly eom- 
pact and lithograplnc, partly bulbous, of tlie limestone of 
Gu.ncs, had lollowcd us as far a.s Batabano. It is somc- 
. Xrn nnd, judging from their 
aXro,l .'.re composed of the 
( Ml ^ ot the island of Pinos, which 
piesuit .it tlie siiiiie time (as it is s.nid by the tirst liistoriaiis 
ot the conquest) the piiie/a and pahnela, bo visible at the 
distance ot twenty sea haigues, they must attain a height of 
lore than hvc hundred toises : I have been assured that 
they .also are formed of a limestone altogether similar to that 
t Guines. From these facts, I e.x])eeted to find the same 
rock (Jura limestone) in the Jardinillos : but I saw, in tlio 
chain of rocks that rises generally five to six inclies above 
tlie surface of the water, only a fragmentarv rock, in which 
angii ar pieces of madrepores arc cemented bv quartzosc 
m'’iL the fragments form a mass of from one 
I nt in ‘ so disappear, 
that m several layers one might imagine that the polvpi 
have remained on the spot. The total ma.ss of this diaia 
of locks appears to me a limestone agglomerate, somewh.nt 
analogous to the earthy liinestoiie of tlie peninsula of Arava, 
recent formation. The 
meqnalities ot tins coral rock arc covered by a detritus of 
shells and madrepores. AVliatever rises above the surface 
