tinguished in merchandize, which differ in value according to the depth and brilliancy of the colour.

Mr. Dalrymple remarks, "I have seen coral banks in all their stages, some in deep water, others in rocks appearing above the surface; some just formed into islands, without the least appearance of vegetation, others with a few weeds on the higher parts; and, lastly, such as are covered with timber, with a fathomless sea at a pistolshot distance." Captain Hinders paid much attention to the barrier of reefs which runs along the whole eastern coast of New Holland, and on one of which he was shipwrecked. In one place, he says, "We had wheat-sheafs, mushrooms, stags'-horns, cabbage-leaves, and a variety of other forms growing under water, in the varied tints of every shade, between green, purple, brown, and white. It seems to me that when the little animals which form the coral cease to live, their structures adhere to each other, by virtue either of the glutinous remains within, or of some property of the salt-water, and the interstices being gradually filled up with sand, and broken pieces of coral washed by the sea, which also adhere, a mass of rock is at length formed. Future races of these animals erect their habitations on the rising bank, and die in their turn, to increase, but principally to elevate, this monument of their wonderful labours."

With respect to the islands formed principally of coral, it has been observed that, "As soon as the coral has reached such a height that it remains almost dry at low water at the time of ebb, the corals leave off building higher; sea-shells, fragments of coral, &c., &c., are united by the burning sun, through the medium of the cementing sand, into one whole or solid stone, which, strengthened by the continual throwing up of new materials, gradually increases in thickness, till it at last becomes so high that it is covered only during some seasons of the year by the spring-tides. The heat of the sun so penetrates the mass of stone when it is dry, that it splits in many places, and breaks off in flakes. These

flakes, so separated, are raised one upon another by the waves at the time of high-water. The always active surf throws blocks of coral and shells of marine animals between and upon the foundation stones. After this, the (sandy surface) lies undisturbed, and offers to the seeds of trees and plants, cast upon it by the waves, a soil upon which they rapidly grow, to overshadow its dazzling white surface. Entire trunks of trees, which are carried by the rivers from other countries and islands, find here, at length, a resting-place after their long wanderings; with these come some small animals, as lizards and insects, as the first inhabitants. Even before the trees form a wood the real sea-birds nestle there; strayed land-birds take refuge in the bushes; and at a much later period, when the work has long since been completed, man also appears, builds his hut on the fruitful soil formed by the corruption of the leaves of the trees, and calls himself lord of this new creation."

Another writer observes to the same purpose, "The action of the sun and air soon converts the surface into a species of mould, the birds or the waves convey to it seeds from other lands, and the whole becomes clothed with vegetation. The islands of coral which are thus produced harden by time till they become one solid mass.

The following description of a coral island is abridged from an interesting work called "The Ocean."

"Imagine a belt of land in the wide ocean, not more than half a mile in breadth, but extending, in an irregular curve, to the length of ten or twenty miles or more: the height above the water not more than a yard, or two at most, but clothed with a mass of the richest and most verdant vegetation. Here and there, above the general bed of luxuriant foliage, rises a grove of cocoa-nut trees, waving their feathery plumes high in the air, and gracefully bending their tall and slender stems to the breathing of the pleasant trade-wind. The grove is bordered by a narrow beach on each side, of the most glittering whiteness, contrasting with the beautiful azure waters by

which it is environed. From end to end of the curved isle stretches, in a straight line, forming, as it were, the cord of the bow, a narrow beach of the same snowy whiteness, almost level with the sea at the lowest tide, enclosing a semicircular space of water between it and the island, called the lagoon. Over this line of beach, which occupies the leeward side, the curve being to

windward, the sea is breaking with sublime majesty; the long unbroken swell of the ocean, hitherto unbridled through a course of thousands of miles, is met by this rampart, when the huge billows rear themselves upwards many yards above its level,...and then fall with loud and hollow roar. Contrasting strongly with the tumult and confusion of the hoary billows without, the water

within the lagoon exhibits the serene placidity of a millpond, and the surface, unruffled by a wave, reflects the mast of the canoe that sleeps upon its bosom, and the tufts of the cocoa-nut plumes that rise from the beach above it. Such is a coral island; and, if its appearance is one of singular loveliness, its structure is no less interesting and wonderful. The beach of white sand, which opposes the whole force of the ocean, is found to be the summit of a rock which rises abruptly from an unknown depth, like a perpendicular wall. The whole of this rampart, as far as we can see, appears composed of living coral....In these regions may be seen islands in every stage of their formation,-some spreading like gardens and shrubberies under the sea."

The following is an account of the way of obtaining coral:-"The divers in Provence have two different implements which they employ for the purpose of obtaining coral. The first is used to tear it from the rocks; it consists of a large wooden cross, to the centre of which is attached a heavy weight of lead, which sinks it readily, and it is held by a long thick cord. To each extremity of the cross is fixed a round network, or parcel of loose cords. When they have thrown this instrument into the sea, in places wherein the divers have previously ascertained that there are a number of cavities in the rock well filled with coral, the one who has the management of the machine pushes some of the network into these interstices, and in this way the coral becomes entangled, and the persons in the boat then break it off, and draw it out of the water.

"The other instrument is employed in obtaining the coral from deep caverns, and consists of a very long beam of wood, to the extremity of which is attached a circle of iron of a foot and a half in diameter, with a large reticular sack, with two round nets placed on each side. This beam is fixed by two long cords to the stem and stern of the boat; it is sunk by means of a large plummet of lead, and is drawn about the bottom of the

sea in different directions by the movements of the boat. The iron ring breaks off the small branches of coral which are attached to the sides of the caverns, and the other parts are entangled in the nets. Sometimes, though rarely, they obtain in this way branches weighing three or four pounds; and this would more frequently be the case, were it not that the people who fish for coral are permitted to repeat their operations too often."

CRYSTAL.

The original Hebrew word is sometimes translated crystal, and sometimes frost, and ice.

The beautiful class of stones called crystals probably have that name from their resemblance to ice. Crystal is perfectly transparent, bright, and sparkling, and assumes very beautiful and regular forms. Immense caverns have been found, entirely covered within with crystals. One was discovered in 1823, having a roof of crystal fifteen feet in thickness. Terrible crystal seems to denote that of extraordinary brightness and transpa

rency.

DIAMOND.

The diamond is the most precious of all stones. It is of a white colour, and beautifully transparent. It is found in the East Indies and in Brazil. The common mode of obtaining diamonds is to turn the course of the stream, and to wash, sift, and pick the sand, to separate the precious stones. When a large diamond is found, of a perfect water, as it is called, free from flaws, and admitting of being well cut, its value, from its rarity, is enormous. The largest diamond known belonged to the