obs
of jelly, to the rocks, put forth, as it were, a multitude of arms and
wait till little fish or other small animalcules unwarily touched them,
when they would instantly seize them, fold arm after arm around their
victims, and so engulf them in their stomachs. Here I saw the ceaseless
working of those little coral insects whose efforts have encrusted the
islands of the Pacific with vast rocks, and surrounded them with enormous
reefs. And I observed that many of these insects, though extremely
minute, were very beautiful, coming out of their holes in a circle of
fine threads, and having the form of a shuttle-cock. Here I saw curious
little barnacles opening a hole in their backs and constantly putting out
a thin feathery hand, with which, I doubt not, they dragged their food
into their mouths. Here, also, I saw those crabs which have shells only
on the front of their bodies, but no shell whatever on their remarkably
tender tails, so that, in order to find a protection to them, they thrust
them into the empty shells of wilks, or some such fish, and when they
grow too big for one, change into another. But, most curious of all, I
saw an animal which had the wonderful power, when it became ill, of
casting its stomach and its teeth away from it, and getting an entirely
new set in the course of a few months! All this I saw, and a great deal
more, by means of my tank and my burning-glass, but I refrain from
setting down more particulars here, as I have still much to tell of the
adventures that befell us while we remained on this island.

CHAPTER XIII.

Notable discovery at the spouting cliffs--The mysterious green monster
explained--We are thrown into unutterable terror by the idea that Jack is
drowned--The Diamond Cave.

"Come, Jack," cried Peterkin, one morning about three weeks after our
return from our long excursion, "let's be jolly to-day, and do something
vigorous. I'm quite tired of hammering and hammering, hewing and
screwing, cutting and butting, at that little boat of ours, that seems as
hard to build as Noah's ark; let us go on an excursion to the mountain
top, or have a hunt after the wild ducks, or make a dash at the pigs. I'm
quite flat--flat as bad ginger-beer--flat as a pancake; in fact, I want
something to rouse me, to toss me up, as it were. Eh! what do you say to
it?"

"Well," answered Jack, throwing down the axe with which he was just about
to proceed towards the boat, "if that's wha