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

April, 1836. keeling island. 547 of life, teems ; yet I must confess I think those naturalists who have described in well-known words the submarine grottoes decked with a thousand beauties, have indulged in rather exuberant language. April 6th. — I accompanied Captain FitzRoy to an island at the head of the lagoon : the channel was exceedingly intricate, winding through fields of delicately branched coi-als. We saw several turtle, and two boats were then employed in catching them. The method is rather curious : the water is so clear and shallow, that although at first a turtle quickly dives out of sight, yet in a canoe, or boat under sail, the pursuers after no very long chase come up to it. A man standing ready in the bows, at this moment dashes through the water upon the turtle's back ; then chnging with both hands by the shell of its neck, he is carried away till the animal becomes exhausted and is secured. It was quite an interesting chase to see the two boats thus doubling about, and the men dashing into the water trying to seize their prey. When we arrived at the head of the lagoon, we crossed the narrow islet and found a great surf breaking on the wind- ward coast. I can hardly explain the cause, but there is to my mind a considerable degree of grandeur in the view of the outer shores of these lagoon islands. There is a sim- plicity in the barrier-like beach, the margin of green bushes and tall cocoa-nuts, the solid flat of coral rock, strewed here and there with great fragments, and the line of furious breakers, all rounding away towards either hand. The ocean throwing its waters over the broad reef appears an invincible, all- powerful enemy, yet we see it resisted and even conquered by means which at first seem most weak and inefficient. It is not that the ocean spares the rock of coral ; the great fragments scattered over the reef, and accumulated on the beach, whence the tall cocoa-nut springs, plainly bespeak the unrelenting power of its waves. Nor are there any periods of repose granted. The long swell, caused by the gentle but steady action of the trade-wind always blowing in 2 N 2