luxuriant as those growing in the valleys, and the fruit as good
and refreshing also. Besides this, I noticed that, on the summit
of the high mountain, which we once more ascended at a different
point from our first ascent, were found abundance of shells and
broken coral formations, which Jack and I agreed proved either that
this island must have once been under the sea, or that the sea must
once have been above the island. In other words, that as shells
and coral could not possibly climb to the mountain top, they must
have been washed upon it while the mountain top was on a level with
the sea. We pondered this very much; and we put to ourselves the
question, "What raised the island to its present height above the
sea?" But to this we could by no means give to ourselves a
satisfactory reply. Jack thought it might have been blown up by a
volcano; and Peterkin said he thought it must have jumped up of its
own accord! We also noticed, what had escaped us before, that the
solid rocks of which the island was formed were quite different
from the live coral rocks on the shore, where the wonderful little
insects were continually working. They seemed, indeed, to be of
the sauce material, - a substance like limestone; but, while the
coral rocks were quite full of minute cells in which the insects
lived, the other rocks inland were hard and solid, without the
appearance of cells at all. Our thoughts and conversations on this
subject were sometimes so profound that Peterkin said we should
certainly get drowned in them at last, even although we were such
good divers! Nevertheless we did not allow his pleasantry on this
and similar points to deter us from making our notes and
observations as we went along.

We found several more droves of hogs in the woods, but abstained
from killing any of them, having more than sufficient for our