. Journal of researches into the natural history and geology of the countries visited during the voyage round the world of 'Beagle,' under the command of Captain Fitz Roy. xclude, of course, some soil which has been imported here in vessels fromMalacca and Java, and likewise some small fragments of pumice, drifted here by thewaves. The one block of greenstone, moreover, on the northern island must beexcepted. LAGOON ISLANDS OR ATOLLS 495 to these mountains of stone accumulated by the agency ofvarious minute and tender animals ! This is a wonder whichdoes not at first strike the eye of t
. Journal of researches into the natural history and geology of the countries visited during the voyage round the world of 'Beagle,' under the command of Captain Fitz Roy. xclude, of course, some soil which has been imported here in vessels fromMalacca and Java, and likewise some small fragments of pumice, drifted here by thewaves. The one block of greenstone, moreover, on the northern island must beexcepted. LAGOON ISLANDS OR ATOLLS 495 to these mountains of stone accumulated by the agency ofvarious minute and tender animals ! This is a wonder whichdoes not at first strike the eye of the body, but, after reflection,the eye of reason. I will now give a very brief account of the three greatclasses of coral-reefs; namely, Atolls, Barrier and FringingReefs, and will explain my views * on their formation. Almostevery voyager who has crossed the Pacific has expressed hisunbounded astonishment at the lagoon islands, or as I shallfor the future call them by their Indian name of atolls, andhas attempted some explanation. Even as long ago as theyear 1605, Pyrard de Laval well exclaimed, Cest une meruillede voir chacun de ces atollons, enuironne dun grand banc de. WHITSUNDAY ISLAND. pierre tout autour, ny ayant point dartifice humain. Theaccompanying sketch of Whitsunday Island in the Pacific,copied from Capt. Beecheys admirable Voyage, gives but afaint idea of the singular aspect of an atoll ; it is one of thesmallest size, and has its narrow islets united together in a immensity of the ocean, the fury of the breakers, contrastedwith the lowness of the land and the smoothness of the brightgreen water within the lagoon, can hardly be imagined withouthaving been seen. The earlier voyagers fancied that the coral-building animalsinstinctively built up their great circles to afford themselvesprotection in the inner parts ; but so far is this from the truth 1 These were first read before the Geological Society in May 1837. and havesince been developed in a separate
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