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Updated: May 6, 2025
Couthouy, one of the naturalists in the great Antarctic Expedition of the United States: "Having personally examined a large number of coral-islands and resided eight months among the volcanic class having shore and partially encircling reefs. I may be permitted to state that my own observations have impressed a conviction of the correctness of the theory of Mr. Darwin."
Couthouy further argues, that since these great fragments were deposited and fixed on the reef, they have been elevated; he infers this from the greatest amount of erosion not being near their bases, where they are unceasingly washed by the reflux of the tides, but at some height on their sides, near the line of high-water mark, as shown in an accompanying diagram.
Couthouy describes its summit as "presenting a broad table-land which declines a few feet towards the centre, where we may suppose the lagoon to have been placed." It is about two hundred feet in height, and consists of reef-rock and conglomerate, with existing species of coral embedded in it.
Couthouy has not borne in mind the indisputable fact, that corals, when constantly bathed by the surf, can exist at a higher level than in quite tranquil water, as in a lagoon.
Lyell a very interesting pamphlet, entitled "Remarks upon Coral Formations," etc., by J. Couthouy, Boston, United States, 1842. With respect to the thickness of masses of coral-rock, it clearly appears, from the descriptions given by Mr.
Couthouy, one of the naturalists in the great Antarctic Expedition of the United States: "Having personally examined a large number of coral-islands, and resided eight months among the volcanic class having shore and partially encircling reefs, I may be permitted to state that my own observations have impressed a conviction of the correctness of the theory of Mr. Darwin."
Couthouy has no doubt, from the nature of the strata, that this has been effected by an elevation of the land.
Couthouy affirming, that "having personally examined a large number of coral-islands, and also residing eight months among the volcanic class, having shore and partially encircling reefs, I may be permitted to state that my own observations have impressed a conviction of the correctness of the theory of Mr. Darwin."
The fragments were embedded in a mixture of decomposed lava and sand. It is not stated whether they were accompanied by shells, or whether the corals resembled recent species; as these remains were embedded they possibly may belong to a remote epoch; but I presume this was not the opinion of Mr. Couthouy. Earthquakes are very frequent in this archipelago.
Kotzebue has given plans of several; Cook and Bligh mention others; a few were seen during the voyage of the "Beagle"; and notices of other atolls are scattered through several publications. Couthouy; it is an upraised atoll, but as it does not appear to be fringed by living reefs, it is left uncoloured.
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