The Hillsdale standard. [volume] (Hillsdale, Mich.) 1851-1909, 1879-07-15
WONDERS OF THE REEF.
something About the CoraIs ot the
Indian ocean.

OF all the wonderful sights in this
land OF wonders there are none greater
than the wonders OF the reef when the
tide is low. The ideas about coral
which people have who have never
seen IL in his living state are generally
erroneous. They know it as a beauti-
ful white ornament under glass
shade. or in delicate pink branches in
their iewelry, and they imagine living
coral is like these. Their ideas are
helped along 10y the common misnomer
OF trees and branches as applied to
coral. / have never seen 1t in the
South Sea islands, but throughout the
eastern seas the most common variety
takes laminated form, not unlike the
large fungi TO be met with any sum-
mer's day in an English wood growing
out Of the older trees. Flat, circular
tables Of dingy brown, growing one
over another, with spaces under each.
These attain great size, extending for
yards without break, so that the bot
tom of the sea is perfectly level. This
kind is much sought after by the lime
burners. Another species grows in de-
tached bosses, like thick-stemmed
plants which the gardner has trimmed
around the top. These clumps grow
out Of the sand, and stand up in dull
brown against the white flooring 4
third pattern is spiked like stags horns
tangled together. and is Of "A dingier
brown than the first. Its spikes collect
the drifting weeds. and its appearance
is consequently untidy. There are
scores Of varieties of corals and mad
repores, but the three mentioned are
those which principally make up the
mass which is ever growing under the
still waters inside the reef. At Maize
burg the reef ~ distant seven miles
from the shore, and the whole OF this
great lagoon is in process of filling up
10y coral. There are one or two holes.
left capriciously, and channel which
the river has cut TO the reef, which il
pierces in what is locally called a
pass" Everywhere else the bottom
Is only few feet under water and is
always slowly rising. The various cor
ais, the patches OF silver sand, the
deep, winding channel, lend each
tint TO the wator-sapphire blue, where
II Is deepest, soa-grcen with emerald
tlecks, or cerulean blue shot with opa-
line tints, in the shadows The reef is
a solid wall, shelving toward the ocean,
and varies in width from 20 TO 100
yards. Against the outer face the roll
ers rage necessarily. Swell follows
swell, smoothly and regularly. There
is no hurry, for there is no shelving
bottom TO keep them back. On they
come, separating their ink-blue masses
from the tumble Of the ocean, rearing
aloft their crests like live things anx-
ious to try their strength, and fall with
a roar on its edge as it stands up to
meet them. You can stand within n
few feet OF the practically bottomless
sea and watch them tumble, with the
water no further than your knees, as
the surge OF their onward rush carries
them acl oss the reef. To stand 40 and
watch them coming on appears, to one
unused TO the sight, 10 court destruc.
tion; the wave ~ so vast, its crest ris-
ing higher as il advances shuts out the
sea beyond-nothing can be seen but
wall of water rolling on; Its strength
is so apparent, 80 irresistible, and the
pause IL appears 10 take as the top
curls over, seems TO check your breath.
The rocks and Jumps Of dead coral
with which storms have stFcwed the
reef are high and dry; the pools Of
limpid water in the holes sink down
and drain away, their surface CLASSY
and their depths full of color and
strange shaped living things, then tine
roller breaks aud sends surge OF wa
ter kissing by, aud the reef has sunk
beneath the foam and bubbling water.