Narrative of the surveying voyages of his majesty's ships Adventure and Beagle (vol.3)

539 CHAPTER XXII. Keeling Island — Singular appearance — Scanty Flora — Transport of seeds — Birds and insects — Ebbing and flowing springs — Coral formations re- sisting power of ocean — Fields of dead coral — Stones transported by roots of trees — Great crab — Stinging corals — Structure of lagoon islands — Encircling and Barrier reefs — General proofs of subsidence in the Pacific — Theory of lagoon islands caused by subsidence of the land Pacific and Indian oceans divided into alternate areas of elevation and subsidence — Points of eruption lie within the areas of elevation. CORAL FORMATIONS. April 1st. — We arrived in view of the Keeling or Coco3 Islands, situated in the Indian ocean, and about six hundred miles distant from the coast of Sumatra. This is one of the lagoon islands of coral formation, similar to those we passed in the Dangerous Archipelago. An excellent idea of the general appearance of these extraordinary rings of land, which rise out of the depths of the ocean, may be obtained from the characteristic sketch of Whitsunday Island, in Beechey's Voyage. When the ship was in the channel at the entrance, Mr. Liesk, an English resident, came off in his boat. The his- tory of the inhabitants of this place, in as few Avords as pos- sible, is as follows. About nine years ago, a Mr. Hare, a very worthless character, brought from the East Indian archipelago a number of Malay slaves, which now, including children, amount to more than a hundred. Shortly after- wards. Captain Ross, who had before visited these islands in his merchant- ship, arrived from England, bringing with him his family and goods for settlement. Along with him came Mr. Liesk, who had been a mate in his vessel. The Malay slaves soon ran away from the island on which Mr. Hare Avas settled, and joined Captain Ross's party. Mr. Hare upon this was ultimately obliged to leave these islands.