“These animals are but a sac, like the finger of a glove, only more
leathery. Around the mouth is a series of tentacles, formed by a
prolongation of the skin. They are all skin, in fact, and have no
special organs, yet they digest food with tremendous rapidity,
absorbing it directly. It makes no difference if you turn them inside
out; they will digest just as well as before. You cannot kill them by
dividing them; for they live all over, like a plant. For this reason
they have been called zoöphytes.[1] If you cut one into eight parts,
each part will live and set up in business for itself. Like all other
animals, however, they grow out of eggs. The eggs are formed within
the skin, which is double, and divided into cells by partitions or
septa. When mature, they detach themselves, move about in the water
until they find a favorable place, and then establish a new colony.
They do not contribute to the growth of their parent colony, which is
effected in another way.
[1] The term Zoöphyte is applied to simple polyps and compound
individuals consisting of many polyps united together, as in most
corals. They often branch like vegetation, and the polyps resemble
flowers in form.
“On examining a piece of coral, it is seen to be full of little holes,
popularly supposed to be the places for the stomachs of the animals,
but this is not so, at all; the coral animal does not form a secretion
around it like the mollusks,[2] but inside, between the two folds of
its skin. Coral is, therefore, the bones and not the skull of the
animal. As before stated, these animals work in societies or colonies,
and their tendency is to repeat the forms peculiar to each species;
thus we have corals shaped like a hand, like the branches of trees,
like mushrooms, like a brain, with its convolutions. They grow and
multiply in these societies by budding or gemmation. The side of the
animal begins to bulge out, and the protuberance so formed develops
into a new mouth, which soon eats and digests for itself, but does
not separate from its parent. This process goes on symmetrically, and
produces the variety of regular shapes just described.
[2] Mollusks are invertebrate animals, having a soft, fleshy body,
which is inarticulate, and not radiate internally.
“Some distance below the surface, we no longer find these beautiful
shapes, but a dense, solid, coral rock. Take for instance, the coral
reefs of Florida. Beginning one hundred and twenty feet below the
surface, we first find about thirty feet of massive rock, then the
astræa,[3] then the meandrina,[4] and about ten feet below the surface
the palmata or hand-shaped coral. In the shallow mud between the
reefs and the continent, there are multitudes of branching corals
of the most beautiful forms, colors, and delicacy of structure. The
production of coral rock is explained partly by the mechanical action
of the waves, and partly by the destruction of the coral insect by the
sea urchin and other animals that feed on it. The waves disintegrate
the structure formed by the animal, and then roll back the coral sand,
thus produced upon it, where it undergoes a process of induration in
the course of time.
[3] Astræa, a coral in the shape of a star.
[4] Meandrina, a genus of corals with meandering cells, as the
brain-stone coral.
“It is an interesting question how the structure ever rises above the
water level, seeing that the animal which makes it cannot live out of
the water. The little architects retain enough sea water to last them
over until the next tide, and are so enabled to work up to the highest
watermark. Actinia have been observed all closed up on the rock at low
water, and then suddenly opened like magnificent flowers, five and six
inches in diameter, when the tide rose.”
So far, what Mr. Agassiz says of them; now let us try and look at them
ourselves. In the hot, summer months, when the waters are bringing
forth the moving creature that has life, millions of diminutive,
jelly-like spawn are thrown out by the parent animal. For a while,
they enjoy their freedom, and seem to luxuriate in the exercise of
their powers of locomotion, which they are never hereafter to recover;
but soon they become weary, and settle down upon some firm, stationary
body. At once they begin to change their form; they become star-like,
the mouth being surrounded by tentacles, very much as the center of a
flower is surrounded by its leaves. After some time, each one of these
ray-like parts pushes out extensions, which in their turn assume the
shape of tiny stars, and establish their own existence by means of an
independent mouth. In the meanwhile, lime has been deposited at the
base of the little animal, by its own unceasing activity, and forms
a close-fitting foot, which adheres firmly to the rock. Upon this
slender foundation arises another layer, and thus by incessant labor,
story upon story, until at last a tree has grown up with branches
spreading in all directions. But where the plants of the upper world
bear leaves and flowers, there buds forth here, from the hard stone, a
living, sensitive animal, moving at will, and clad in the gay form and
bright colors of a flower.
This flower is the animal itself, seen only in its native element, and
unfit for air and light. What we call coral is its house, outside of
which it prefers to live, rather than within.
How they build their dwelling, human eye has never seen. We only
know that the tiny animals, by some mysterious power, absorb without
ceasing the almost imperceptible particles of lime which are contained
in all salt-water, and deposit them, one by one, in the interior.
This is done, now more, now less actively; and the denser the deposit
is, the more valuable the coral. Gradually this substance hardens and
thickens, until, in the precious coral, the _Isis Nobiles_ of science,
a large tree is formed, which often reaches the size of a man’s waist.
It is perfectly solid and compact, and adorned on the surface with
delicate parallel lines. Thus, on the tree-shaped limestone, grows
the life-endowed body of the polypus; it moves, it feeds, it produces
others, and then is turned again into stone, burying itself in its own
rocky house, whilst on its grave new generations build unceasingly new
abodes.
This is the so-called blood-coral, the favorite of antiquity, and the
fashion of our day—next to the pearl, the most precious jewel of the
deep.
It is not easy to obtain a piece of living coral, for the purpose
of studying its wondrous structure, and admiring its exceeding
beauty. The great depth at which the mysterious little animals dwell
in the ocean, secures them against the mere amateur fisherman; and
the professional coral-fisher in the Mediterranean, the son of
superstitious races of Southern Italy, is even extremely reluctant to
admit outsiders into the secrets of his trade. However, they seem only
to seek very superficially. As a proof of this assertion, we cite the
following example:
The United States Steamer Gettysburg, while on her way from Fayal to
Gibraltar, recently made a discovery of considerable importance, in
the shape of an immense coral bank (hitherto totally unknown), in
latitude 36° 30´, longitude 11° 28´. Partial surveys were made, and
the least depth of water noted was one hundred and eighty feet, which,
in mid-ocean, is very significant. Twenty miles west of the bank, the
sounding line marks sixteen thousand five hundred feet, and between
the bank and Cape St. Vincent, twelve thousand feet. The commander of
the Gettysburg believes that in some portions the coral rises to the
surface. How such a reef, in a part of the ocean which is constantly
traversed by vessels, can have remained undiscovered is almost
inexplicable. It is also stated that the bank is rich in valuable
coral of light pink shades of color.
[Sidenote: CORAL FISHING.]
The coral fishing is done in this way: a large net is fastened by a
stout rope to the stern of the vessel. At the end of this rope hangs
first an iron cross, consisting of two hollow tubes, laid cross-wise,
through which strong ash poles have been thrust, and to this are
fastened a number of old sardine-nets, no longer fit for their first
purpose, and countless ends and bits of wide-meshed pieces of rope,
as thick as a finger—the whole apparatus a mass of rags and rotten
network. But the more such wretched-looking pieces of network the
fisher can fasten to his iron cross, the better are his chances. When
the sea is perfectly quiet, he lets them sink down to a depth of
sixty or even a hundred fathoms, where they slowly spread and unfold
themselves over a vast extent. Now the vessel proceeds slowly on in
the manner of our trolling, and as soon as the skilled hand of the
fisher observes that the rope pulls, and consequently something is
fastened to the net, he pulls it slowly up, and the treasure, if any
there is, is heaved on board with great care, and now comes the task
of picking out the precious treasure from the meshes of the network,
and to loosen them from the fragments of stone on which they are
growing.
[Sidenote: HOW TO EXAMINE THE CORAL.]
The only way to examine the living animal is to seize the little
fragment of rock, or the shell to which the mysterious creature is
fastened, at the very moment that it appears near the surface, and
to dip it, if possible, without exposing it to the air, immediately
into a vessel with salt-water, which you hold ready for the purpose.
At first, there is nothing to be seen but a vague, indistinct mass
of grayish substance. You suspend the animal and its tiny abode by a
string in the middle of the glass globe, and carry it to a dark place;
for the coral will not display its beautiful form and colors in the
gleaming light of the day. It takes hours, often, before the obstinate
little creature condescends to give a sign of life.
At last the club-shaped extremity of the dingy red substance begins
to wrinkle up into little rings here and there. Looking now with a
magnifying-glass you perceive with joy, that the eight star-shaped
indentations assume a white tinge, and the red grows every moment to
a more lively hue. The lines widen, and soon the whole resembles a
beautiful flower of eight leaves.
We have seen that those wondrous little animals in length of time
have built mountains to a height of fifteen thousand feet. The coral
islands and reefs are but just above the surface of the water, except
in cases where they have been lifted by earthquakes or other internal
action, after the little architect of the sea had done his work.
Many of these coral islands are of circular form, with an opening
which will admit the passage of boats, and sometimes of ships. The
waves break on the outer edge with that long, steady swell peculiar
to the Pacific, but on the inside the water is as calm and peaceful
as that of a mountain lagoon. Sometimes the coral reefs have been
formed around the volcanic islands so as to encircle them completely,
except at a single opening. In such cases, they make excellent harbors
between the reef and the island: the harbor of Tahiti is a splendid
specimen of this kind of work. The reef surrounds the island in such
a way as to make a lagoon of still water, like the moat around a
castle. The entrance is deep, and sufficiently wide to admit ships of
every size.
On many of the volcanic islands there are caverns, some of them
of considerable size, and often of great depth. Runaway sailors
frequently hide in these caverns, and they are also resorted to by
the natives in times of warfare. There is a cavern in the Island of
Hoonga, one of the Tonga Islands, which has a romantic history from
the use that was made of it by the man who discovered it.
[Sidenote: AQUATIC SKILL OF THE FEEJEEANS.]
One day a young chief of Hoonga was out on a fishing excursion, and
caught sight of a large turtle. The turtle dived, and so did the
chief, leaving his canoe floating on the surface of the water. The
natives of nearly all the Pacific islands can swim like seals; they
are in the water and learn to swim about as soon as they learn to
walk. It is commonly said that a Feejee baby will swim instinctively,
like a puppy or a kitten; but this is not strictly true. The natives
think nothing of swimming a mile or two at a time, and they frequently
get up swimming matches, in which they show great speed and endurance.
The accomplishment is not confined to the sterner sex; girls and women
swim as well as boys and men, and frequently the girls carry away the
prizes in the swimming matches. It is proper to say that they are not
as elaborately dressed as the young ladies of New York and Paris;
on some of the islands nobody wears any clothing whatever, except a
little oil rubbed over the skin, to keep out the water. Since the
missionaries settled in the South Pacific, more attention is paid to
dress than formerly; but the quantity worn is surprisingly small, and
would not admit the wearers to a fashionable party in America.
The young chief dived for the turtle, and the two had a lively race.
The turtle went into a hole in the rocky shore, and the chief went
after him. The turtle disappeared, and the chief rose to the surface
of the water to regain his boat. But instead of finding himself in
the open air, he was in a cavern, a hundred feet wide and twice as
long, with a dome as high as the roof of an ordinary church. It was
lighted from the water and from a few crevices in the rock, where
nobody could reach them. On one side there was a floor of solid rock,
smooth as the best sidewalk of a city, and evidently the resort of the
turtles of that neighborhood. He explored the cavern, and concluded
that he had hit upon a good thing, and would keep it to himself.
Taking a new twist in his neck-tie, adjusting his collar, and seeing
that his diamond pin was well fastened, he dived into the water, swam
outside, and rose near his canoe. With his thumb on the side of his
nose, he paddled home, lighted his gas, and sat down in his easy-chair.
He was not a married man, but he had hopes in the direction of
matrimony. He loved the daughter of an old chief whose tribe was then
at war with his own, and as long as the war lasted there was no hope
for their union. His tribe was preparing for an assault upon the
other, and the economical custom prevailed there of eating all who
were killed or made prisoners. His tribe was more powerful than the
other, and if the battle should be on the side of the stronger party,
they would have the pleasure of devouring the vanquished ones. He had
no particular objection to eating, or seeing his friends eat, the body
of his father-in-law, and especially that of his mother-in-law,—many
a married man in America can understand his feelings, and sympathize
with them,—but he did object to seeing his bride roasted or
fricasseed; so he studied out a plan to save her from the gridiron or
stewpan.
[Sidenote: WHAT A PAIR OF LOVERS DID.]
He managed to communicate with her the next day, and told her to meet
him at a certain place on the shore, at an appointed time, where he
would be ready with his canoe. He was there on time, and she came,
with her waiting-maid, who carried their entire wardrobe in an old
bottle. A quart of cocoa-nut oil was sufficient to dress her for
several days, and it did not take long to pack up. They entered the
canoe, and the chief paddled them to the cave, which they reached just
as the sun was rising.
“Dress yourself, my dear,” said he, as he ceased paddling, “and have
your maid do likewise.”
She poured out a handful of the oil, and rubbed it over her
porphyry-colored shoulders, so that she could slip easily through the
water. Her maid followed her example, and then fastened the bottle to
a string around her neck.
“Now, if you’re ready,” said the lover, “follow me.”
“Ready,” was the response.
He went overboard, and mistress and maid went after him.
Down they dived like three dolphins, the princess keeping close at his
heels, and the maid following the princess.
The lady had some misgivings when they entered the hole in the rocks,
but she concluded that her lover knew what he was about, and therefore
she asked no questions. In fact, she could not talk at that time, as
any one familiar with efforts at subaqueous conversation can testify.
[Sidenote: THE HAPPY COUPLE IN A TURTLE CAVE.]
They rose in the cavern, and clambered out upon the solid floor,
disturbing half a dozen turtles, and capturing one of them just as he
was sliding off into the water.
The princess was delighted, and so was the maid, who thought the
place one of the jolliest she had ever seen. They talked about the
best plan to arrange the house, and laughed to think what a commotion
her absence from home would create. After an hour or so he left her,
promising to bring some furniture, and fit up the establishment, so
that they might start at housekeeping in good style.
There was a precious row in Oklingee’s palace when he found that his
daughter had disappeared. He searched through his village, but could
find no trace of her; and, after several hours of fruitless endeavor,
he came home, and for the first time discovered that she had taken the
bottle of cocoa-nut oil, and then he knew that she wouldn’t return in
a hurry, and that her absence was premeditated. He did not know that
anybody was in love with her, but very naturally suspected that she
had eloped with some young man. His rage was great, and he ordered all
the youths of the tribe to be sent before him.
All came, and were closely questioned. None of them knew anything
about the princess and her flight, and all were able to prove where
they were the night before. His anger was partially appeased when
some one brought in a prisoner freshly caught, who was immediately
killed and served up for dinner.
Oklingee’s wrath turned to grief, and he determined to bring on a
great battle at once, by way of distracting his sad thoughts. Moreover
he suspected that his daughter had been stolen by some of his foes,
though his spies brought him word that she was nowhere to be seen in
the camp of the enemy.
[Sidenote: A HOME UNDER WATER.]
Meantime the lovers were happy in their new home, though the visits
of the young chief were never of long duration. He carried her a
liberal supply of mats for bedding, and kept the place well stocked
with cocoa-nuts and other things good to eat. Anything that would be
injured by the water was carefully wrapped in a shark’s skin before
it was taken to the cave, and as the skin was quite water-proof, the
articles did not suffer in transit. It was no easy work for the youth
to dive and swim into the cavern with a bundle fastened to his neck;
but love gave him strength, and he was ready to undergo any hardship
for the sake of his heart’s idol. She reciprocated his kindness, and
arranged all the mats and other furniture so that the house was quite
comfortable, and even luxurious.
The turtles did not approve of the invasion of their home, and made
up their minds not to live in the society of the moonstruck couple
and their servant. As the latter showed no disposition to leave, the
former abandoned the place, though now and then one made his way there
and climbed upon the rocky floor. When the splashing of the water
denoted the approach of a turtle, the princess and her maid would
quietly slip aside, and leave him to pick out the spot he wanted and
go to sleep. They would then stealthily approach him, and turn him on
his back, where he would be helpless. Cutting off his head was the
next step, and by the time the chief made his appearance the turtle
would be ready to take home. He was thus able to account to his
friends for his absence, as he took a turtle home nearly every day,
and was greatly praised for his skill in the chase.
One day a fellow who had been unfortunate in turtle hunting, and taken
nothing for a fortnight, determined to follow the chief, and find out
where he had so much good luck. He paddled his canoe silently along,
keeping some distance in the rear, so that he was not noticed by
the lover. The latter reached the cave, and was so intent on seeing
his lady love that he did not think to look around. Taking a bag of
cocoa-nuts, he dived and rose as usual. The other waited a long time
for his reappearance, and at last was rewarded by seeing him come
up dragging a turtle, which he lifted into the canoe. Just as he
was picking up his paddle, he discovered the spy, and knew that his
secret, or at least a part of it, had been found out.
[Sidenote: FATE OF A SPY.]
The other laughed, but his laugh was brief, as the lover went for him,
and there was every promise of a fight. The canoes met with a crash,
and the men grappled and fell into the water. Their struggle was long,
as neither had any weapons or clothing, and their oily skins did not
offer good holding-ground for their hands. At last the chief had the
spy by the throat, and at the same time struck him a violent blow on
the nose, so that the blood spurted out.
The waters of the South Pacific swarm with sharks. Some of these grow
to a considerable size, and are strong enough to seize a man and kill
him. They rarely attack the natives; there seems to be a friendliness
among the sharks and the natives, as the latter can swim among them
with almost complete safety, while a white man would be caught in a
moment. It sometimes happens that a group of natives will be bathing
and frolicking in the water with sharks all around, as inattentive as
though nothing were near them. But let a white man join the party, and
he will instantly attract the sharks. A white cloth thrown into the
water will bring them around; anything white seems to draw them and
receive their attention. It not unfrequently happens that sailors who
have incautiously put their naked hands or feet into the water over
the sides of a boat have had them bitten off by sharks.
[Sidenote: FOOD FOR SHARKS.]
Blood also attracts them, and where there is blood, they make no
distinction between natives and foreigners. In the present instance,
the lover had drawn blood from his antagonist, and it instantly
occurred to him that both their lives were in danger if any sharks
were around. He released his hold, dived under his canoe, and swam
away a hundred feet or more, so as to be out of the vicinity of the
blood he had drawn.
As he rose to the surface and looked around, he saw that the spy
was just recovering from the force of the blow. His head was above
the water, and his hands were moving as if he were slowly swimming
towards the rocks. Suddenly he gave a shriek, and disappeared as if
drawn under, and the lover then knew that his expectations were not
incorrect. But with a taste of blood the sharks would be likely to
attack him, and he therefore swam farther away, and climbed upon a
small reef just even with the surface.
Fortunately a light wind came up and blew his canoe towards him. When
it was near the reef he swam out and reached it, and then paddled home
with his turtle. For two days he did not go out again; partly through
fear that the sharks might be around the spot where his antagonist was
killed, and partly in order to allay any suspicions that his previous
movements might have aroused.
When he next visited the cavern, he found his princess greatly
distressed, and almost dead with grief. Soon after his last visit her
maid took it into her head to go outside. She dived into the water,
and rose close to the foot of the cliff. The lover had been gone an
hour or more, but an empty canoe was floating not far away, and near
it a dozen sharks were quarrelling over something which she naturally
supposed was the body of the owner of the bark. Of course she thought
that the canoe must belong to the young chief; and when she returned
and told her story, it is no wonder that the princess went into
hysterics. On the next day he came not, and they then knew that he
was lost. Their grief had been great, and so were their surprise and
relief at his return.
[Illustration: BATTLE OF THE WARRIORS.]