On coral reefs and islands . r reef. The sea rolls in heavy surges againstthe outer margin of the barrier; but the still waters of a lake pre-vail within, affording safe navigation for the tottling canoe some-times through the whole circuit of an island : and not unfrequent-ly, ships may pass, as by an internal canal, from harbor to harboraround the land. The reef is covered by the sea at high tide,yet the smoother waters indicate its extent, and a line of breakersits outline. Occasionally a green island rises from the reef, and insome instances, a grove of palms stretches along the barrier fo
On coral reefs and islands . r reef. The sea rolls in heavy surges againstthe outer margin of the barrier; but the still waters of a lake pre-vail within, affording safe navigation for the tottling canoe some-times through the whole circuit of an island : and not unfrequent-ly, ships may pass, as by an internal canal, from harbor to harboraround the land. The reef is covered by the sea at high tide,yet the smoother waters indicate its extent, and a line of breakersits outline. Occasionally a green island rises from the reef, and insome instances, a grove of palms stretches along the barrier formiles, where the action of the sea has raised the coral structureabove the waves. ON CORAL REEFS AND ISLANDS. The annexed sketch conveys some idea of the peculiar featurespresented by a Pacific island and its encircling reefs, though inorder to fill out the scene, the jagged heights and deep gorges ofthe island should be covered with forests and the shores withgroves and native villages. The coral platform which borders the. shore is represented with its usual uneven line, its broad harborswith a narrow entrance, and to the left, an irregular ship chan-nel running between the inner or fringing reef, and the outer orbarrier. At a single place, the sea is faced by a cliff; and here,owing to the boldness of the shores and depth of waters, the reefis wanting. To the right there is only a fringing reef. Coral islands.—Coral islands resemble the reefs just described,except that a lake or lagoon is encircled instead of a mountainousisland. A narrow rim of coral reef, generally but a few hundredyards wide, stretches around the enclosed waters. In some partsthe reef is so low that the waves are still dashing over it into thelagoon ; in others it is verdant with the rich foliage of the coral-made land when highest is seldom more than eightor ten feet above high tide. When first seen from the deck of a vessel, only a series ofdark points is descried just above the horizon.
Size: 3408px × 733px
Photo credit: © The Reading Room / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookdecade1850, bookidoncoralreefs, bookyear1853
