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 same 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.
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