The cut will enable you to understand what I mean. The star in the middle represents the water-spout, and the three arrows the directions in which each of the three vessels found the wind come, which shows that three diverse currents of air all set towards the water-spout.
CHAPTER VII.
CORAL REEFS AND ISLANDS.
When we were sailing through the Pacific Ocean, I saw a great many coral reefs and islands; and perhaps there is hardly one of the wonderful things which I have seen in my travels, that I remember with more pleasure, or love more to think about, so I shall be glad to tell you all I know of them.
You are acquainted with the appearance of Coral, as you have often seen pieces of it in cabinets, and employed as ornaments; and you therefore know that it always abounds with little holes, but its form, and the shape of these holes, vary considerably. Some of it occurs in branches, like the branches of trees, and in consequence of this, and because it was known to increase in size from time to time, it was taken for a marine plant, before its nature was fully investigated. The openings in this sort are placed in the form of stars, as you will see in this little piece of one of the branches magnified.
Sometimes it is in large roundish masses, called brain stones, from its resemblance to the brain of an animal; the openings are then long holes placed in two rows between high ridges, like this.