branch coral which extended as far as he could see on either side. This
coral grew like shrubbery. It was hard to believe that, all this was the
product of an invisible insect, instead of being a miniature forest
turned into pure white stone. The scene was surpassingly beautiful;
coral branches ran up to a height of eight or ten feet from the bottom,
where they locked and wove together like vines. Paul walked to the
edge of this reef and gazed with delighted eyes into its liquid
depths. Schools of bright colored fish were swimming gracefully in
and out through the delicate coral branches. Some, more fearless than
their companions, swam round and round Paul's copper helmet, and looked
into the thick glass at the front. When Paul made a sudden move of his
hand, they darted away; but returned soon again to satisfy their
curiosity and ascertain what strange monster had invaded their fairy
land.

Three sudden jerks of the life line held in the hands of the anxious
Tom, recalled Paul to his work. The three pulls meant, "Where are you?
Is everything right?" He then signaled for the bucket to be lowered.
Taking his pry he broke off some exquisite specimens of the
undergrowth coral, which he loaded in and sent up. He then explored on
the side of the coral forest until he came to a small portion of the
bottom, covered with sand and surrounded with rocks. Under the growth of
marine vegetation, he passed his hand, and pulled from the rock a living
shell. Paul had been fully instructed by his father in the science of
conchology, so he recognized this specimen as very rare and much sought
after. It was the shell called "voluta musica." This was the first one
of those shells found during the expedition. After a careful search he
found twenty-three more of the same kind, and several large shells
known as "Triton's trumpet." The bucket was filled. Paul followed it to
the surface well satisfied with his first day's work as a submarine
diver.

Scott was not enthusiastic over the "volute musica", but the captain of
the Cayosa was delighted. He knew the value of the shell. He told Paid
he had sold many of them to the tourists and collectors in Barbadoes
receiving from fifty cents to a dollar and a half apiece. He also
said that where one of those shells was found there was generally many
in the vicinity, and advised Paul not to move the sloop that night, but
to descend again the next day.

When the sun was suff