Page 280 - Third Book of Reading Lessons

READING LESSONS. 279
CYTHE1RA, n., a beautiful island, which was dedicated to Venus, be­ tween Peloponnesus (now the Morea), and Crete (now Candia), at present one of the Ionian islands, and called Gerigo.
ENAM1EL, n., anything enamelled or variegated with inlaid colours. o enamel means to x colours by melting in re. F. emailler, to enamel; D. smelten, om yltan, A.S., to melt.
CoR1AL, a., of or consisting of coral, which is a marine plant of a porous texture and stony hardness. F. corail; G. korralion, of doubtful etymology.
For "Labyrinth," see p. 146; "Continent," p. 262; "Rampart," p. 263; "Verdant," p. 82; "Ambiguous," p. 116; " Pirturesque," p. 204; "Peak," p. 263; "Amphitheatre," p. 186; "Atmosphere," p. 25; "Melody," p. 189; and"Jessamine," p. 35.
1. THERE extends over a space of more than 8000 miles a labyrinth of islands, an immense archipelago, in the midst of which are twenty countries, spacious like minor continents, and one of them nearly equal­ ling Europe in extent. These regions present in every qnarter scenes tted to move the most igid imagination. iauy nations are here und in their earliest in ncy. The amplest openings have been a orded r commercial activity. Numberless val­ uable productions have been already laid under con­ tribution to our insatiab!e luxury. Here many nat­ ural treasures still remain concealed om scienti c observation. How numerous are the gulfs, the ports, the straits, the lofty mountains, and the smiling plains! hat magni cence, what solitude, what
originality, and what variety! Here the zoophyte, the motionless inhabitant of the Paci c Ocean, creates a rampart of calcareous rock round the bank of sand on which it bas grown. Grains of seed are brought to this spot by the birds, or wafted by the winds. The nascent verdure makes daily acquisi­ tions of strength, till the young palm waves its ver­
dant iiage over the surfa.ce of the waters. Each shallow is converted into an island, and each island improved into a garden. e behold at a distance a dark volcano ruling over a rtile country, generated