Litchfield enquirer., 1838-08-23
CORAL FORMATION.


cety ct London," from the "Quarterly Review"
and from the Boston Journal of Philosophy aud the
| Ars."
KoIztbur, in describing his voyage Of
discovery between the years 1915 aud
1918, informs us that he fell in with
chain Of islands extending from LAT. 6 de-
grecS to lat. IL degrees n0rtll, and from
Ion. 1877 degrees Ia lon. 1913 degrees west,
each consisting of circular reef If rocks,
out Of which a, irregular distances, rose a
number Of small Hat islands, richly cover
ed will, bread fruit, the pandanus and the
| cocoa nut tree.
This cnterpriSing voyager confirms the
statement often made by other navigalors,
that broad belt, reaching over the whole
Pacific, and extending in width from 80
degrees norlh latitude TO the same parallel
on tho south of the line, is every where
filling up with coral formations.
Coral islands, says McCuloc, are scat
tered over the great Pacific ocean; they
endanger The navigation of the Indian Ar
ehipesago, aud, by their.daily increase, are
running that Of the Red Sea-. Ganius as
sures us that, as early as the year 1000, CO.
raj was very abundant in the Red Sea.
| By the silent and almost unnotced opc-
rations If the miuulest animals Of crea-
lion, says another writer, the foundations
of new lands are daily preparing under the
ocean. ..... ...- .r....z ......
The coral manufacturers are busily enl-
ployed in eleyating the bottom of the sea,
through the long distance Of several thou
sand miles, between New Holland and the
| Western coast Of America aud it would
not be surprising il, in the course Of four
or five hundred years, that immense tract
of ocean should become dry land, and be
inhabited by tribes Of rational beings.
Between Guinea, New Holland and New
Caledonia. coral reefs are said TO be nu-
merous and extensive. They exist, and
are in Il state Of rapid enlargement in the
Indian Archipelago, and also along the
eastern coast Of the Gulf Of Florida.
The Island Of Tongataboo, described
by Captain Cook, is Of an oval form, twen-
~ leagues in circumference, raised ten ieet
above the surface Of the ocean, the sound
ings all around it being estimated at one
hundred laihoms, and yet this enormous
mass is entirely Of organic limestone, and
Of coral origin. TIKI. ..-.-+
| Flinders mentions u still larger mass. 1t
| is on the east coast Of New Holland, and
extends with slight interruptions, one thou
sand miles or more in length, aud from,
twenty to fifty miles in breadth. What an
immense fabric for such puny race Of
builders
The depth Of tho waters encircling ma
ny Of these submaii inc mountains has not
been asccrlained, although the line has Of
ten been sent down the distance Of tw"
hundred fathoms. These reefs or islands
sometimes rise in long straight lines, some-
times in accumulated groups. Ut is "a very
curious fact, aud one which has attracted
the attention Of several navigalors, that
when q new formation is arranged in right
or curved lines, the side Of the submarine
structure To windward, or that which is Ca
posci to incursions Of the sea, rises nearly
vertically, in the form Of breast work or
wall whereas, OH the leeward it shelves
off gradually, constituting al inclined plain,
reaching on the one side 10 the surface aud
Or the other extending TO the bottom Of
the ocean. The uniformity in their mode
Of building these coral structures, which
has been observed with establishment 10
the Indian Ocean, and in other parts Of
the Vastly deep, evinces that the eflec, is
not attributable to accident. 1t is unques-
tionably the result of instinct. These
sloping reefs have proved disastrous 10 nu-
merous vessels which have unexpectedly
come in violent contact with them and been
lost.
When The groups are circular II number
Of detached rocks and small islands first
II, seI, nj Ian ftI
united. The water on the outside is deep,
and the walls perpendicular. These walls
form a basin, filled with salt water, which
gradually grows deeper and deeper as you
approach the centre. Ia the interior Of
the basin the animals are still labori0g,
while Old the superior part Of its perme-
Ter, as they have carried their works to the
greatest possible heieht-tlie surface Of
the waier-they are dead aud enIbalmed
in their own cells. As the bottom Ut the
basin gradually rises, and ultimately be.
comes equally elevated with It's Circunte-
renee, these little perseveriDg laboiers all
successfully perish; for they are I"capa-
BILE Of continuing their operations au inch
above the ocean.
But, il NAV lie asked, how can this or
ganic mass, which at high water is entiely
submerged in the deep, ever become vIs-
ible Island 1t is found that tie Island
begins to form on The perpendicular wall.
on The windward side. The waters con-
stan,ly driving against il. cary large guam
titles Of sand, shells, aud fragments Of CO.
raj rocks, and deposie them by its side.
At length this vertical wall is transformed
into an inclined plain. I" the highest parts
Of which are washed shells. decomposed
marine matter, which s""n become vege-
table mould, aud the seeds Of Pl"n's-'he
g.. n, I..ni.,I,s hnrnn lii her IN