Iexclude，ofcourse，somesoilwhichhasbeenimportedhereinvesselsfromMalaccaandJava，andlikewise，somesmallfragmentsofpumice，driftedherebythewaves。Theoneblockofgreenstone，moreover，onthenorthernislandmustbeexcepted。
ThesewerefirstreadbeforetheGeologicalSocietyinMay，1837，andhavesincebeendevelopedinaseparatevolumeonthe“StructureandDistributionofCoralReefs。”
ItisremarkablethatMr。Lyell，eveninthefirsteditionofhis“PrinciplesofGeology。”inferredthattheamountofsubsidenceinthePacificmusthaveexceededthatofelevation，fromtheareaoflandbeingverysmallrelativelytotheagentstheretendingtoformit，namely，thegrowthofcoralandvolcanicaction。
[13]IthasbeenhighlysatisfactorytometofindthefollowingpassageinapamphletbyMr。Couthouy，oneofthenaturalistsinthegreatAntarcticExpeditionoftheUnitedStates：——“Havingpersonallyexaminedalargenumberofcoral-islandsandresidedeightmonthsamongthevolcanicclasshavingshoreandpartiallyencirclingreefs。ImaybepermittedtostatethatmyownobservationshaveimpressedaconvictionofthecorrectnessofthetheoryofMr。Darwin。”——Thenaturalists，however，ofthisexpeditiondifferwithmeonsomepointsrespectingcoralformations。PreviousChapterNextChapterTheVoyageoftheBeagle-Chapter21TheVoyageoftheBeaglebyCharlesDarwinPreviousChapterChapter21-MauritiustoEnglandAPRIL29th——InthemorningwepassedroundthenorthernendofMauritius，ortheIsleofFrance。Fromthispointofviewtheaspectoftheislandequalledtheexpectationsraisedbythemanywell-knowndescriptionsofitsbeautifulscenery。TheslopingplainofthePamplemousses，interspersedwithhouses，andcolouredbythelargefieldsofsugar-caneofabrightgreen，composedtheforeground。Thebrilliancyofthegreenwasthemoreremarkablebecauseitisacolourwhichgenerallyisconspicuousonlyfromaveryshortdistance。Towardsthecentreoftheislandgroupsofwoodedmountainsroseoutofthishighlycultivatedplain；theirsummits，assocommonlyhappenswithancientvolcanicrocks，beingjaggedintothesharpestpoints。Massesofwhitecloudswerecollectedaroundthesepinnacles，asifforthesakeofpleasingthestranger’seye。Thewholeisland，withitsslopingborderandcentralmountains，wasadornedwithanairofperfectelegance：thescenery，ifImayusesuchanexpression，appearedtothesightharmonious。
Ispentthegreaterpartofthenextdayinwalkingaboutthetownandvisitingdifferentpeople。Thetownisofconsiderablesize，andissaidtocontain20，000inhabitants；thestreetsareverycleanandregular。