rees and solid masses of coral had sprung up to the water's
edge, in parts which I knew were several fathoms deep when we entered. I
had often heard that the islands in these seas were formed by corals,
but I had no idea of the rapidity with which they were extended.

Your highness must know that all the zoophite, or animal plants, are
composed of small insects, who work in millions under the water, until
they rise to the top. Such was the case in the present instance, and
thus by the labours of the minutest of the creation, in the short space
of three weeks my ship was shut up so as to render escape hopeless.

I returned on board, and explained to the men the real cause of the
apparently supernatural effects of what we had witnessed. Satisfied that
my assertions were correct, they seemed to care little at being obliged
to remain on an island which afforded them the means of such comfortable
subsistence. As nothing could be done for the ship, we went on shore
again, and repitching the tents, waited quietly until we might be taken
off by some vessel who should chance to pass that way.

In a fortnight the ship was aground, and the island continued to
increase so rapidly, that in two months she was raised high and dry out
of the water, about half a mile from the beach. The vegetation seemed to
advance as regularly and as rapidly as the island, and after the rainy
season the trees had grown up so high, that the ship was completely hid
in a large wood, and it was just possible to see her lower masts above
the branches. For some time the men seemed perfectly contented. We had
plenty of stores in the ship of every description; the cargo I had taken
on board was chiefly manufactures, and as the island provided fresh
meat, fish, and fruit, they were in want of nothing. But sailors are
such changeable and restless beings, that I really believe they would
soon be tired of paradise itself. After a sojourn of nine months, during
which they perhaps lived better than they ever had before, they began to
murmur and talk of getting away in some manner or another. As my cargo
was valuable, I was in hopes that a vessel would visit the island, and
take it on board: I therefore made every remonstrance that I could
imagine to induce them to wait some time longer; but they would not
listen to me, and made preparations for building a vessel at the weather
side of the island, out of the materials that the ship afforded. The
reason why they chos