German composition

Section 31 Formation of a Coral-Island. — II

The⁠1 new bank is not long in being visited by sea-birds. Salt-plants⁠2 take root upon it (S. 4, N. 5, B), and⁠3 a soil is being formed. A cocoa-nut, or the⁠4 drupe of a pandanus is thrown on⁠5 shore. Land-birds visit it⁠6 and deposit the seeds of shrubs and trees. Every high tide, and still more⁠7 every gale, adds something to the bank. The⁠8 form of an island is gradually assumed, and last of all⁠9 comes man (S. 3, N. 2) to (S. 19, N. 7) take possession.—M. Flinders.

Notes

1 The new coral-reef is (S. 2, N. 1) now soon visited by (von) sea-birds.

2 Sea-plants; to take = to strike.

3 und so bildet sich eine Erdschicht.

4 die Frucht einer Panane. Die Panane (Pandanus) ist eine Art Palme und wird auch Pandang (m.) oder Palmnußbaum genannt.

5 an, contracted with the def. art.

[6] it = the same, to agree with its antecedent ‘shore’; to deposit, zurück´lassen; seeds, Same, m., used in the sing.

7 still more = especially; adds — bank, trägt etwas zur Vergrößerung des Riffs bei.

8 The latter (dieses) gradually assumes (an´nehmen) the form of an island. The adv. ‘gradually’ may be made emphatic; see App. § 14.

9 zuletzt; ‘to — possession’ = to take possession of the same.