Note 5 — Chapter VI · ON THE DISTRIBUTION OF CORAL-REEFS WITH REFERENCE TO THE THEORY OF THEIR FORMATION

See Captain Dillon’s “Voyage in search of La Peyrouse.” M. Cordier in his “Report on the Voyage of the ‘Astrolabe’” (p. cxi, vol. i), speaking of Vanikoro, says the shores are surrounded by reefs of madrepore, “qu’on assure etre de formation tout-a-fait moderne.” I have in vain endeavoured to learn some further particulars about this remarkable passage. I may here add, that according to our theory, the island of Pouynipete (Plate I, Fig. 7), in the Caroline Archipelago, being encircled by a barrier-reef, must have subsided. In the New S. Wales Lit. Advert. February 1835 (which I have seen through the favour of Dr. Lloghtsky), there is an account of this island (subsequently confirmed by Mr. Campbell), in which it is said, “At the N.E. end, at a place called Tamen, there are ruins of a town, now only accessible by boats, the waves reaching to the steps of the houses.” Judging from this passage, one would be tempted to conclude that the island must have subsided, since these houses were built. I may, also, here append a statement in Malte Brun (vol. ix, p. 775, given without any authority), that the sea gains in an extraordinary manner on the coast of Cochin China, which lies in front and near the subsiding coral-reefs in the China Sea: as the coast is granitic, and not alluvial, it is scarcely possible that the encroachment of the sea can be owing to the washing away of the land; and if so, it must be due to subsidence.