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FRINGING REEFS. 427
shaped tract of land, and the former divisions may still be recognized by
their rocks, which are either bare or covered with a scanty vegetation.*
Generally speaking, the section of the ring which is turned toward the
point ofthe compass whence the wind most frequently blows is that which
presents the greatest extent of dry ground, or even a complete half-circle,
for the animalculae building the reef take a delight in the beating of the
surf. There are, however, certain archipelagoes, like that of the Marshall
Isles, where islands continuously increase on the very side of the atoll
which is least beaten by the waves. This fact is accounted for by the
violence of the north-east trade-wind, which, during six months in the
year, carries from the eastern to the western reefs all the broken pieces
and drifting matter, and thus constructs' an artificial bank on the least
populated side of the atoll.
#_0i°35" , &%?*&
c:-. ■ XL°3&
11° 35- .,-' ...--• * -
j {
,J /
• ;
n°25- -*, !__*__
, /
Fig. 180.—Brown's Archipelago.
Still, the appearance of reefs differs considerably according to the activity of the coral insects, and the various physical conditions of the ground
on which they erect their structures. All round a great number of isl-
ands,f Tahiti being an example of this class, the reefs of madrepores
fringe the shores like the shoals on the rocky coasts of Brittany, and between terra firma and the belt of reefs properly so called there is little
more than a narrow canal, through which vessels make their way with
difficulty; but being protected against the surf of the open sea, they are
* Doane, American Journal of Science and Arts, May, 1860.
t See Fig. 176.
| Title | The ocean, atmosphere, and life |
| Creator | Reclus, Elisée |
| Publisher | Harper |
| Place of Publication | New York |
| Date | 1873 |
| Language | eng |
| Type | Books/Pamphlets |
| Title | 00000470 |
| Type | Books/Pamphlets |
| Transcript | FRINGING REEFS. 427 shaped tract of land, and the former divisions may still be recognized by their rocks, which are either bare or covered with a scanty vegetation.* Generally speaking, the section of the ring which is turned toward the point ofthe compass whence the wind most frequently blows is that which presents the greatest extent of dry ground, or even a complete half-circle, for the animalculae building the reef take a delight in the beating of the surf. There are, however, certain archipelagoes, like that of the Marshall Isles, where islands continuously increase on the very side of the atoll which is least beaten by the waves. This fact is accounted for by the violence of the north-east trade-wind, which, during six months in the year, carries from the eastern to the western reefs all the broken pieces and drifting matter, and thus constructs' an artificial bank on the least populated side of the atoll. #_0i°35" , &%?*& c:-. ■ XL°3& 11° 35- .,-' ...--• * - j { ,J / • ; n°25- -*, !__*__ , / Fig. 180.—Brown's Archipelago. Still, the appearance of reefs differs considerably according to the activity of the coral insects, and the various physical conditions of the ground on which they erect their structures. All round a great number of isl- ands,f Tahiti being an example of this class, the reefs of madrepores fringe the shores like the shoals on the rocky coasts of Brittany, and between terra firma and the belt of reefs properly so called there is little more than a narrow canal, through which vessels make their way with difficulty; but being protected against the surf of the open sea, they are * Doane, American Journal of Science and Arts, May, 1860. t See Fig. 176. |
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