Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1869-03-12

them solidly together, so that the former
will cease to be islands, and will become
| part of the main land. Indeed, we shall
find that Florida herself, so far as her struc-
| ture is known, Is only succession of such
rows of islands as now lie outside her south
ern shore, united together, by flats exactly
like those accumulating at this moment be-
tween the present islands and the coast.
These islands are called the keys of Florida,
! and are distinguished from one another by
a variety Of appellations, such as Sand Key,
Key West, Indian Key, Long Key, and the
| like. They are of various sizes, some-like
Key West for instance--are large, inhabited
islands, planted with fruit and flower gar
dens, whore cocoanuts and palms, orange
trees and bananas, grow in great luxuri-
ance, while others are mere barren rocks,
scarcely rising above the surface of the
ocean, washed over by the waves, and
wholly destitute of verdure.
Suppose, now, that in fancy we sail out
from the keys on their seaward side, choos-
ing bright, calm day, when the surface OF
the ocean is STILL The waters of that region
are always remarkably clear; and under
such influences Of sky and atmosphere they
are so transparent that the bottom may be
seen at considerable depth, distinct as a
| picture under glass.
Sailing southwark to distance of some
four or five miles from the keys, we find
| ourselves in the neighborhood of rocky
wall rising from the ocean bottom. As we
approach it, if we look over the side of the
boat we shall see that we are passing over
a floating shrubbery, branching growth
| spreading in every direction, its lighter
| portions swaying gently with the movement
of the sea. 1t is not green, like land shrub
| berry, but has variety of soft, bright hues,
purple, rosy, amethyst, yellow, brown and
orange. If circumstances are favorable, and
the water crystal clear, as it sometimes is,
we shall have glimpses of bright-colored
| fishes swimming in and ont amid this tan
| gled thickct, or here and there we may dis
cern a variety of sea anemones their soft,
feathery fringes fully expanded.
This wonderful growth over which we
have imagined ourselves to be sailing is the
top of a coral wall Reaching the surface
| of the water at intervals, il forms little
rocky islands here and there, divided from
each other by open channels, through some
Of which vessels of considerable size may
pass. This wall is in fact repetition of the
same process as that which has formed the
inner row of keys, though in a more in
complete stage; it is built up by the coral
animals from the sea bottom. Wherever
circumstances are most favorable to their
development, there they grow most rapidly.
In such spots they bring the wall to sea
level sooner than in others.
This done, however, the work of the cor
al animals ceases, because they cannot live
out of the water. But in consequence of a
process of decay and decomposition, which
| | shall describe when we examine the struc-
ture and life of the animals themselves,
such a wall--or coral reef, as it is called-is
surrounded by coral sand and fragments
worn away from it by the action of the sea.
Materials of this sort, mixed with seaweed,
broken shells, &C., soon gather upon the
top of the reof wherever the coral growth
has brought il to the sea level. BY degrees
a soil IN collected upon such spots, raising
them more and more above the surface OF
the water. In this way the islands have
been formed which we call the Keys OF
Florida and in the same way the little
of the reef will enlarge gradually into more
and more extensive islands, though al
present many of them are scarcely visible
above the water level"