The Animalcules
Forming These Reefs, Want To Shelter Their Habitation From The
Impetuosity Of The Winds, And The Power And
Rage of the ocean; but as
within the tropics, the winds blow commonly from one quarter, they, by
instinct, endeavour
To stretch only a ledge, within which is a lagoon,
which is certainly entirely screened against the power of both; this,
therefore, might account for the method employed by the animalcules in
building only narrow ledges of coral rocks, to secure in this middle a
calm and sheltered place, and this seems to me to be the most probable
cause of the origin of all the tropical low isles, over the whole
South Sea." - F.
This theory has been pretty generally adopted by scientific men, and
does not seem liable to any valid objection. The astonishment it may
excite, is quite analogous to what is experienced on any discovery of
the important ends to which the instinctive labours of other creatures
are subservient, and is great, merely because of the conceived
magnitude of the object to which it relates. But this affords no
presumption against the truth of the theory; rather indeed, if the
doctrine of final causes be allowed any credit, may be held, as in
some degree, circumstantial evidence in its favour. We shall
elsewhere, it is expected, have occasion to consider the subject with
the attention it deserves. - E.
SECTION X.
Arrival of the Ships at Otaheite, with an Account of the critical
Situation they were in, and of several Incidents that happened while they
lay in Oaiti-piha Bay.
Enter page number
PreviousNext
Page 248 of 885
Words from 66916 to 67178
of 239428
