Beagle Expedition (1831-1836); Coral reefs and islands; Geology -- South America; Islands; Volcanoes
_Macassar Strait_; the east coast of _Borneo_ appears, in most parts,
free from reefs, and where they occur, as on the east coast of
_Pamaroong_, the sea is very shallow; hence no part is coloured. In
_Macassar_ Strait itself, in about latitude 2° S., there are many small
islands with coral-shoals projecting far from them. There are also (old
charts by Dalrymple) numerous little flats of coral, not rising to the
surface of the water, and shelving suddenly from five fathoms to no
bottom with fifty fathoms; they do not appear to have a lagoon-like
structure. There are similar coral-shoals a little farther south; and
in latitude 4° 55′ there are two, which are engraved from modern
surveys, in a manner which might represent an annular reef with deep
water inside: Captain Moresby, however, who was formerly in this sea,
doubts this fact, so that I have left them uncoloured: at the same time
I may remark, that these two shoals make a nearer approach to the
atoll-like structure than any other within the E. Indian Archipelago.
Southward of these shoals there are other low islands and irregular
coral-reefs; and in the space of sea, north of the great volcanic
chain, from Timor to Java, we have also other islands, such as the
_Postillions_, _Kalatoa_, _Tokan-Bessees_, &c., which are chiefly low,
and are surrounded by very irregular and distant reefs. From the
imperfect charts I have seen, I have not been able to decide whether
they belong to the atoll or barrier-classes, or whether they merely
fringe submarine banks, and gently sloping land. In the Bay of _Bonin_,
between the two southern arms of Celebes, there are numerous coral-
reefs; but none of them seem to have an atoll-like structure. I have,
therefore, not coloured any of the islands in this part of the sea; I
think it, however, exceedingly probable that some of them ought to be
blue. I may add that there is a harbour on the S.E. coast of _Bouton_
which, according to an old chart, is formed by a reef, parallel to the
shore, with deep water within; and in the “Voyage of the ‘Coquille’,”
some neighbouring islands are represented with reefs a good way
distant, but I do not know whether with deep water within. I have not
thought the evidence sufficient to permit me to colour them.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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