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

546 KEELING ISLAND. April, 1836. or porous coral rock acts like a sponge ; and that the rain water which falls on the ground being specifically lighter than the salt merely floats on its surface, and is subject to the same movements. There can be no actual attraction between salt and fresh water, and the spongy texture must tend to prevent all admixture from slight disturbances. On the other hand, where the foundation consists only of loose frag- ments, upon a well being dug, salt or brackish water enters of which fact we saw an instance on this same island. After dinner we stayed to see a half superstitious scene acted by the Malay women. They dress a large wooden spoon in garments, carry it to the grave of a dead man, and then at the full of the moon they pretend it becomes in- spired, and wiU dance and jump about. After the proper preparations, the spoon held by two women became con- vulsed, and danced in good time to the song of the surround- ing children and women. It was a most foolish spectacle, but Mr. I/iesk maintained that many of the Malays believed in its spiritual movement. The dance did not commence till the moon had risen, and it was well worth remaining to behold her bright globe so quietly shining through the long arms of the cocoa-nuts, as they waved in the evening breeze. These scenes of the tropics are in themselves so delicious, that they almost equal those dearer ones to which we are bound by each best feeling of the mind. The next day I employed myself in examining the very interesting yet simple structure and origin of these islands. The water being unusually smooth I waded in as far as the living mounds of coral, on which the swell of the open sea breaks. In some of the guUies and hollows there were beautiful green and other coloured fishes, and the forms and tints of many of the zoophytes were admirable. It is ex- cusable to grow enthusiastic over the infinite numbers of organic beings with which the sea of the tropics, so prodigal near the surface, having been overlooked ; it has been supposed that sand possesses the power of filtering the salt which is dissolved in the sea-water.