Coral Reefs; Volcanic Islands; South American Geology — CompleteDarwin, Charles
Science
Coral Reefs; Volcanic Islands; South American Geology — Complete
Darwin, Charles
Beagle Expedition (1831-1836); Coral reefs and islands; Geology -- South America; Islands; Volcanoes
a deep sea: on their insides they are separated from the continent by a
channel, or rather a succession of bays, with an average depth of ten
fathoms. The small headlands on the continent also have coral-banks
attached to them; and the Querimba islands and banks are placed on the
lines of prolongation of these headlands, and are
separated from them by very shallow channels. It is evident that
whatever cause, whether the drifting of sediment or subterranean
movements, produced the headlands, likewise produced, as might have
been expected, submarine prolongations to them; and these towards their
outer extremities, have since afforded a favourable basis for the
growth of coral-reefs, and subsequently for the formation of islets. As
these reefs clearly belong to the fringing class, the Querimba islands
have been coloured red.—_Monabila_ (13° 32′ S.). In the plan of this
harbour, the headlands outside are fringed by reefs apparently of
coral; coloured red.—_Mozambique_ (150° S.) The outer part of the
island on which the city is built, and the neighbouring islands, are
fringed by coral-reefs; coloured red. From the description given in
Owen’s “Narr.” (vol. i, p. 162), the shore from _ Mozambique_ to
_Delagoa Bay_ appears to be low and sandy; many of the shoals and
islets off this line of coast are of coral-formation; but from their
small size and lowness, it is not possible, from the charts, to know
whether they are truly fringed. Hence this portion of coast is left
uncoloured, as are likewise those parts more northward, of which no
mention has been made in the foregoing pages from the want of
information.
PERSIAN GULF.—From the charts lately published on a large scale by the
East India Company, it appears that several parts, especially the
southern shores of this gulf, are fringed by coral-reefs; but as the
water is very shallow, and as there are numerous sandbanks, which are
difficult to distinguish on the chart from reefs, I have not coloured
the upper part red. Towards the mouth, however, where the water is
rather deeper, the islands of _Ormuz_ and _Larrack_, appear so
regularly fringed, that I have coloured them red. There are certainly
no atolls in the Persian Gulf. The shores of _ Immaum_, and of the
promontory forming the southern headland of the Persian Gulf, seem to
be without reefs. The whole S.W. part (except one or two small patches)
of _Arabia Felix_, and the shores of _Socotra_ appear from the charts
and memoir of Captain Haines (_Geograph. Journ._, 1839, p. 125) to be
without any reefs. I believe there are no extensive coral-reefs on any
part of the coasts of _India_, except on the low promontory of _Madura_
(as already mentioned) in front of Ceylon.
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