3i6 



THE POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY. 



With Little Abaco, which properly belongs to it, it is nearly one hun- 

 dred miles long, and has an average width of twelve miles. There 

 are six hundred and eighty square miles in the larger island alone. 

 The greater part of its outer side, facing the ocean, is bordered by an 

 inner reef of small keys and rocks, which trend northwest by southeast, 



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FiQ 1.— Map of Abaco Island and its adjoining Reef. (From the latest United States Coast 



Survey Chartj. 



and form a channel about five miles wide, having a depth of from one 

 to two and a half fathoms. Two or three miles farther out there is a 

 second reef, mostly submerged, beyond which the bottom falls abruptly 

 to the abyssal sea. The larger islands extend through one degree of 

 latitude, from nearly 25° 50' to 2G° 50'. 



We left Green Turtle on the 15th of June in a sail-boat, with two 

 men to pilot and assist us. Our older guide, Curry, was a native of 

 the island, and made his living by fishing and sponging. Plis services 

 were invaluable, as he was not only invariably obliging, but knew 

 every rock and key in the reef, and could readily tell them at a long 



