Coral Church on an Eastern Island

1895

The church built of coral is one of the curiosities of the isle of Mahe, one of the Scyschelles islands in the Indian ocean.

The Scyschelles islands, which are supposed by many to be the site of the Eden of the Old Testament, form an archipelago of 11 islands and are situated about 1,400 miles east of Aden and 1,000 miles from Zanzibar. They rise steeply out of the sea, culminating in the isle of Mahe, which is about 3,000 feet above the level of the ocean and is nearly the center of the group. All these islands are of coral growth.

The houses are built of a species of massive coral hewn into square blocks, which glisten like white marble and show themselves to the utmost advantage in the various tinted green of the thick tropical palms, whose immense fernlike leaves give pleasant and much needed shade. These palms grow as high as 100 feet and more, overtopping both the houses and the coral built church. They line the seashore and cover the mountains, forming in many places extensive forests. — Brooklyn Eagle.