Beagle Expedition (1831-1836); Coral reefs and islands; Geology -- South America; Islands; Volcanoes
BABUYAN ISLANDS.—Horsburgh says (volume ii., page 442), coral-reefs
line the shores of the harbour in Fuga; and the charts show there are
other reefs about these islands. _Camiguin_ has its shore in parts
lined by coral-rock (Horsburgh, page 443); about a mile off shore there
is between thirty and thirty-five fathoms. The plan of Port San Pio
Quinto shows that its shores are fringed with coral; coloured
red.—BABUYAN ISLANDS: Horsburgh, speaking of the southern part of the
group (volume ii., page 445) says the shores of both islands are
fortified by a reef, and through some of the gaps in it, the natives
can pass in their boats in fine weather; the bottom near the land is
coral-rock. From the published charts, it is evident that several of
these islands are most regularly fringed; coloured red. The northern
islands are left uncoloured, as I have been unable to find any account
of them.—FORMOSA. The shores, especially the western one, seem chiefly
composed of mud and sand, and I cannot make out that they are anywhere
lined by reefs; except in a harbour (Horsburgh, volume ii., page 449)
at the extreme northern point: hence, of course, the whole of this
island is left uncoloured. The small adjoining islands are in the same
case.— PATCHOW, or MADJIKO-SIMA GROUPS. _Patchuson_ has been described
by Captain Broughton (“Voy. to the N. Pacific,” page 191); he says, the
boats, with some difficulty, found a passage through the coral-reefs,
which extend along the coast, nearly half a mile off it. The boats were
well sheltered within the reef; but it does not appear that the water
is deep there. Outside the reef the depth is very irregular, varying
from five to fifty fathoms; the form of the land is not very abrupt;
coloured red.—_Taypin-san;_ from the description given (page 195) by
the same author, it appears that a very irregular reef extends, to the
distance of several miles, from the southern island; but whether it
encircles a space of deep water is not evident; nor, indeed, whether
these outlying reefs are connected with those more immediately
adjoining the land; left uncoloured. I may here just add that the shore
of _Kumi_ (lying west of Patchow), has a narrow reef attached to it in
the plan of it, in La Peyrouse’s “Atlas;” but it does not appear in the
account of the voyage that it is of coral; uncoloured.—LOO CHOO. The
greater part of the coast of this moderately hilly island, is skirted
by reefs, which do not extend far from the shore, and which do not
leave a channel of deep water within them, as may be seen in the charts
accompanying Captain B. Hall’s voyage to Loo Choo (see also remarks in
Appendix, pages xxi. and xxv.). There are, however, some ports with
deep water, formed by reefs in front of valleys, in the same manner as
happens at Mauritius. Captain Beechey, in a letter to me, compares
these reefs with those encircling the Society Islands; but there
appears to me a marked difference between them, in the less distance at
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account