A Strange Manuscript Found in a Copper Cylinder James De Mille
A Strange Manuscript Found in a Copper Cylinder James De Mille
A Strange Manuscript Found in a Copper Cylinder James De Mille
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192<br />
CHAPTER XXVII<br />
OXENDEN PREACHES A SERMON<br />
"Magones," said the doctor, "is clearly a volcanic island, and, taken<br />
<strong>in</strong> connection with the other volcanoes around, shows how active must<br />
be the subterranean fires at the South Pole. It seems probable to me<br />
that the numerous caves of the Kosek<strong>in</strong> were orig<strong>in</strong>ally fissures <strong>in</strong> the<br />
mounta<strong>in</strong>s, formed by convulsions of nature; and also that the places<br />
excavated by man must consist of soft volcanic rock, such as<br />
pumice-stone, or rather tufa, easily worked, and rema<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g permanently<br />
<strong>in</strong> any shape <strong>in</strong>to which it may be fashioned. As to Magones, it seems<br />
another Iceland; for there are the same wild and hideous desolation,<br />
the same impassable wildernesses, and the same universal scenes of<br />
ru<strong>in</strong>, lighted up by the baleful and tremendous volcanic fires."<br />
"But what of that little island on which they landed?" asked<br />
Featherstone. "That, surely, was not volcanic."<br />
"No," said the doctor; "that must have been a coral island."<br />
"By-the-bye, is it really true," asked Featherstone, "that these coral<br />
islands are the work of little <strong>in</strong>sects?"<br />
"Well, they may be called <strong>in</strong>sects," replied the doctor; "they are<br />
liv<strong>in</strong>g zoophytes of most m<strong>in</strong>ute dimensions, which, however, compensate<br />
for their smallness of size by their <strong>in</strong>conceivable numbers. Small as<br />
these are they have accomplished <strong>in</strong>f<strong>in</strong>itely more than all that ever<br />
was done by the ichthyosaurus, the plesiosaurus, the pterodactyl, and<br />
the whole tribe of monsters that once filled the earth. Immense<br />
districts and whole mounta<strong>in</strong>s have been built up by these m<strong>in</strong>ute<br />
creatures. They have been at work for ages, and are still at work. It<br />
is pr<strong>in</strong>cipally <strong>in</strong> the South Seas that their labors are carried on.<br />
Near the Maldive Islands they have formed a mass whose volume is equal<br />
to the Alps. Around New Caledonia they have built a barrier of reefs<br />
four hundred miles <strong>in</strong> length, and another along the northeast coast of<br />
Australia a thousand miles <strong>in</strong> length. In the Pacific Ocean, islands,<br />
reefs, and islets <strong>in</strong>numerable have been constructed by them, which<br />
extend for an immense distance.<br />
"The coral islands are called 'atolls.' They are nearly always<br />
circular, with a depression <strong>in</strong> the centre. They are orig<strong>in</strong>ally made