against a stone thus being entangled, the tree washed into the sea,
floated so far, then landed safely, and the stone finally so embedded
as to allow of its discovery, I was almost afraid of imagining a means
of transport apparently so improbable. It was therefore with great
interest that I found Chamisso, the justly distinguished naturalist who
accompanied Kotzebue, stating that the inhabitants of the Radack
archipelago, a group of lagoon-islands in the midst of the Pacific,
obtained stones for sharpening their instruments by searching the roots
of trees which are cast upon the beach. It will be evident that this
must have happened several times, since laws have been established that
such stones belong to the chief, and a punishment is inflicted on any
one who attempts to steal them. When the isolated position of these
small islands in the midst of a vast ocean--their great distance from
any land excepting that of coral formation, attested by the value which
the inhabitants, who are such bold navigators, attach to a stone of any
kind, [7]--and the slowness of the currents of the open sea, are all
considered, the occurrence of pebbles thus transported does appear
wonderful. Stones may often be thus carried; and if the island on
which they are stranded is constructed of any other substance besides
coral, they would scarcely attract attention, and their origin at least
would never be guessed. Moreover, this agency may long escape
discovery from the probability of trees, especially those loaded with
stones, floating beneath the surface. In the channels of Tierra del
Fuego large quantities of drift timber are cast upon the beach, yet it
is extremely rare to meet a tree swimming on the water. These facts
may possibly throw light on single stones, whether angular or rounded,
occasionally found embedded in fine sedimentary masses.
During another day I visited West Islet, on which the vegetation was
perhaps more luxuriant than on any other. The cocoa-nut trees generally
grow separate, but here the young ones flourished beneath their tall
parents, and formed with their long and curved fronds the most shady
arbours. Those alone who have tried it, know how delicious it is to be
seated in such shade, and drink the cool pleasant fluid of the
cocoa-nut. In this island there is a large bay-like space, composed of
the finest white sand: it is quite level and is only covered by the
tide at high water; from this large bay smaller creeks penetrate the
surrounding woods. To see a field of glittering white sand,
representing water, with the cocoa-nut trees extending their tall and
waving trunks around the margin, formed a singular and very pretty view.
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