CCCIV. CORAL ISLANDS.

It has long been known, that the upper surface of these islands, usually known by the general name of Coral Rocks, is composed of calcareous fragments of a great variety of forms, the production of marine animals; and, since the voyages of Cook, Flinders, D'Entrecasteaux, and others, it has been as generally supposed, that these minute creatures began their wonderful fabrics at the very depth of the ocean, building upwards from the bottom, and that each generation, dying in its cells, was succeeded by others, building upon the labours of their predecessors, and thus rising in succession till they reached the surface. This was surmised to be the process, from the circumstance of the sea being found so deep, close to the external side of the reef, as frequently to be unfathomable. It now appears that is not precisely the case. The facility, with which the little vessel of Kotzebue entered through the open spaces in the surrounding reef or dam into the included lagoon, enabled M. Chamisso to inspect more narrowly the nature of these extraordinary fabrics, and to give a more distinct and intelligible account of their origin and progress. From the circumstance of their being grouped only in certain spots of the Pacific, and always in an united though irregular chain, generally more or less approaching to a circle, he was led to conclude, that the coral animals lay the foundation of their edifices on shoals in the ocean, or perhaps, more correctly speaking, on the summits of those sub-marine mountains, which advance sufficiently near the surface to afford them as much light and heat as may be necessary for their operations. The extreme depth at which they can perform their functions has not yet been ascertained, but it was found, on a late voyage of discovery, that in Baffin's Bay, marine animals existed at the depth of one thousand fathoms, and in a temperature below the freezing point. The outer edge of the reef exposed to the surf is the first that shows itself above water, and consists of the largest blocks of coral rock, composed of madrepores mixed with various shells and

the spines of the sea hedge-hog, which break into large tablets, and are so compact, as to sound loudly under the hammer. On the sloping side of the inner ridge or reef, the animals discovered in the act of carrying on their operations, were the tubipora musca, the millepora cœrulea, distichopora, actinas, and various kinds of polypus. The living branches of the lithophytes were generally attached to the dead stems; many of the latter, however, crumbled into sand, which, accumulating on the inner declivity, constitutes a considerable part of the surface of the new islands.

The ridge or reef, when once above water on the windward side, extends itself by slow degrees till it has surrounded the whole plateau of the submarine mountain, leaving in the middle an enclosed lake, into which are passages, more or less deep, communicating with the ocean; the islets formed on the reef or wall are smaller or larger, according to accidental circumstances. Chamisso observed, that the smaller species of 'corals' had sought a quiet abode within the lagoon, where they were silently and slowly throwing up banks which in process of time united with the islets that surrounded them, and at length fill up the lagoon, so that what was at first a ring of islands becomes one connected mass of land. The progress towards a state fit for the habitation of man is thus described by the naturalist :—

"As soon as it has reached such a height, that it remains almost dry at low water, at the time of ebb, the corals leave off building higher; sea-shells, fragments of coral, sea hedgehog shells, and their broken off prickles, are united by the burning sun, through the medium of the cementing calcareous sand, which has arisen from the pulverization of the above-mentioned shells, into one whole or solid stone, which, strengthened by the continual throwing up of new materials, gradually increases in thickness, till it at last becomes so high, that it is covered only during some seasons of the year, by the high tides. The heat of the sun so penetrates the mass of stone when it is dry, that it splits in many places, and breaks off in flakes. These flakes, so separated, are raised one upon another by the waves at the time of high water. The always active surf throws blocks of

coral (frequently of a fathom in length, and three or four feet thick) and shells of marine animals between and upon the foundation stones; after this the calcareous sand lies undisturbed, and offers to the seeds of trees and plants cast upon it by the waves, a soil upon which they grow so rapidly as to overshadow its dazzling white surface. Entire trunks of trees, which are carried by the rivers from other countries and islands find here, at length, a resting place, after their long wanderings; with these come some small animals, such as lizards and insects, as the first inhabitants. Even before the trees form a wood, the real sea-birds nestle here; strayed land-birds take refuge in the bushes; and at a much later period, when the work has been long since completed, man also appears, builds his hut on the fruitful soil formed by the corruption of the leaves of the trees, and calls himself lord and proprietor of this new creation."

The reflections of Kotzebue in his VOYAGE OF DISCOVERY on these coral Islands are just and natural :—

"The spot on which I stood filled me with astonishment, and I adored in silent admiration the omnipotence of God, who had given even to those minute animals the power to construct such a work. My thoughts were confounded when I considered the immense series of years that must elapse before such an island can rise from the fathomless abyss of the ocean, and become visible on the surface. At a future period they will assume another shape; all the islands will join, and form a circular slip of earth, with a pond or lake in the circle; and this form will again change, as these animals continue building, till they reach the surface, and then the water will one day vanish, and only one great island be visible. It is a strange feeling to walk about on a living island, where all below is actively at work. And to what corner of the earth can we penetrate where human beings are not already to be found? In the remotest regions of the north, amidst mountains of ice, under the burning sun of the equator, nay, even in the middle of the ocean, on islands which have been formed by animals, they are met with!"

CCCV. Bulwer.

Mrs E. L. Bulwer, now Lady Bulwer, was asked if she had seen anything of her husband of late? she replied, 'Not since he has taken Deacon's orders,' alluding to the name of his mistress. So says the Paul Pry, July 7, 1838.

CCCVI. Manilla-Latin letters.

Aug. 24, 1838. MAJOR REVELL said that his father used to speak of the extraordinary effect produced on the Royal Exchange by the publication of Junius's first Letter.

Sir William Draper commanded the land-forces sent against Manilla, Sir Samuel Cornish the naval; the Archbishop of the place sent a Latin Letter to Sir William Draper, hoping to gain time for the removal of the most valuable effects from the town; Sir William fell into the trap, and spent much time in polishing his Latin replies to the Archbishop; at length the town surrendered, and then it was discovered that the Archbishop had caused all the moveable property of value to be taken out of the town. Sir Samuel Cornish, sorely grieved at the loss of plunder, swore that it was all owing to the Latin Letters of Sir William Draper, which he had wasted so much time in polishing, and that if any son of his attempted to learn Latin, he would flog his backside off.

CCCVII. CALCULATING Boys.

"Previous to entering on the general business of the evening; the Revd Mr Peacock, of Cambridge, introduced one of the calculating youths to the assembly, Mangiamelli, a young

Sicilian, and put to him in succession a number of questions, beginning with multiplying several simple numbers, and then more difficult questions in cubic equations, to all which he gave ready and correct answers. Mr Peacock then proposed how many seconds of time are there in 5 years of 365 days; in answer he said in French, (for he does not speak English) 157, 768, 000. It was then proposed, what is the amount of £3000 at 5 per cent compound interest, for 5 years? Answer £9637. Os. 3d, 7-100. After several other questions of a similar nature, the audience began to get impatient for the appearance of the chairman." Proceed. of British Association of Science, at Newcastle, Morn. Chron. Aug. 27, 1838.

CCCVIJI. ON ARBORESCENT FIGURES, AN ORIGINAL PAPER BY SIR A. CARLILE.

A series of facts and observations respecting the Natural Causes of Arborescent or Dendritic Figures in the two divisions of Animal and Vegetable Structures, and in mineral formations, by Sir Anthony Carlisle, F. R. S.

These ramifying figures are not the special productions of living bodies, because they also occur in mineral formations, and when they are not the impressions of organized structures.

In some instances of organic nature, arborescent figures depend on tubular vessels, as in animals; but in vegetable structures these figures are composed of solid woody fibres, while the frame-work of the wings of insects consists of a solid horny substance.

For the advancement of natural knowledge, and for the improvement of organic physiology, it may be useful to collect and to collate various evidences, in order to establish the laws which direct the formation of similar figures in different bodies.