第83章

It appears, in Captain King's Sailing Directions ("Narrative of Survey," volume ii, pages 325-369), that there are many extensive coral-reefs skirting, often at considerable distances, the N.W. shores, and encompassing the small adjoining islets. Deep water, in no instance, is represented in the charts between these reefs and the land; and, therefore, they probably belong to the fringing class. But as they extend far into the sea, which is generally shallow, even in places where the land seems to be somewhat precipitous; I have not coloured them. Houtman's Abrolhos (latitude 28 deg S. on west coast) have lately been surveyed by Captain Wickham (as described in "Naut. Mag." 1841, page 511): they lie on the edge of a steeply shelving bank, which extends about thirty miles seaward, along the whole line of coast. The two southern reefs, or islands, enclose a lagoon-like space of water, varying in depth from five to fifteen fathoms, and in one spot with twenty-three fathoms. The greater part of the island has been formed on their inland sides, by the accumulation of fragments of coral; the seaward face consisting of nearly bare ledges of rock. Some of the specimens, brought home by Captain Wickham, contained fragments of marine shells, but others did not; and these closely resembled a formation at King George's Sound, principally due to the action of the wind on calcareous dust, which I shall describe in a forthcoming part.

From the extreme irregularity of these reefs with their lagoons, and from their position on a bank, the usual depth of which is only thirty fathoms, I have not ventured to class them with atolls, and hence have left them uncoloured.--ROWLEY SHOALS. These lie some way from the N.W. coast of Australia: according to Captain King ("Narrative of Survey," volume i., page 60), they are of coral-formation. They rise abruptly from the sea, and Captain King had no bottom with 170 fathoms close to them. Three of them are crescent-shaped; they are mentioned by Mr. Lyell, on the authority of Captain King, with reference to the direction of their open sides. "A third oval reef of the same group is entirely submerged" ("Principles of Geology," book iii. chapter xviii.); coloured blue.--SCOTT'S REEFS, lying north of Rowley Shoals, are briefly described by Captain Wickham ("Naut.

Mag." 1841, page 440): they appear to be of great size, of a circular form, and "with smooth water within, forming probably a lagoon of great extent." There is a break on the western side, where there probably is an entrance: the water is very deep off these reefs; coloured blue.

Proceeding westward along the great volcanic chain of the East Indian Archipelago, SOLOR STRAIT is represented in a chart published by Dalrymple from a Dutch MS., as fringed; as are parts of FLORES, of ADENARA, and of SOLOR. Horsburgh speaks of coral growing on these shores; and therefore I have no doubt that the reefs are of coral, and accordingly have coloured them red. We hear from Horsburgh (volume ii., page 602) that a coral-flat bounds the shores of SAPY Bay. From the same authority it appears (page 610) that reefs fringe the island of TIMOR-YOUNG, on the N. shore of Sumbawa; and, likewise (page 600), that BALLY town in LOMBOCK, is fronted by a reef, stretching along the shore at a distance of a hundred fathoms, with channels through it for boats; these places, therefore, have been coloured red.--BALLY Island. In a Dutch MS. chart on a large scale of Java, which was brought from that island by Dr. Horsfield, who had the kindness to show it me at the India House, its western, northern, and southern shores appear very regularly fringed by a reef (see also Horsburgh, volume ii., page 593); and as coral is found abundantly there, I have not the least doubt that the reef is of coral, and therefore have coloured it red.

JAVA.

My information regarding the reefs of this great island is derived from the chart just mentioned. The greater part of MADUARA is represented in it as regularly fringed, and likewise portions of the coast of Java immediately south of it. Dr. Horsfield informs me that coral is very abundant near SOURABAYA. The islets and parts of the N. coast of Java, west of POINT BUANG, or JAPARA, are fringed by reefs, said to be of coral. LUBECK, or BAVIAN Islands, lying at some distance from the shore of Java, are regularly fringed by coral-reefs. CARIMON JAVA appears equally so, though it is not directly said that the reefs are of coral; there is a depth between thirty and forty fathoms round these islands. Parts of the shores of SUNDA STRAIT, where the water is from forty to eighty fathoms deep, and the islets near BATAVIA appear in several charts to be fringed. In the Dutch chart the southern shore, in the narrowest part of the island, is in two places fringed by reefs of coral. West of SEGORROWODEE Bay, and the extreme S.E. and E. portions are likewise fringed by coral-reefs; all the above-mentioned places coloured red.

MACASSAR STRAIT.