[15] WOEK OF STEAMER ALBATROSS. 17 



oma, tbe greatest depth between Curacao and this phice, with the sin- 

 gle exception before mentioned. 



The line was extended to Jacmel, showing bold water to the cape ; 

 then 00' south crossing a ridge which extends westward from Alta 

 Vela. We then ran a line NW. J N. (mag.) 40', crossing the line of 

 the ridge above-mentioned, but found it had terminated or changed its 

 direction, as we earned a uniform depth of about 2,400 fathoms. 



We then steamed 18' WSW. (mag.) and sounded in 2,490 fathoms, 

 brown ooze, latitude 17° 39' 30" X., longitude 73° 22' 15" W., "Leigh ton 

 Eock awash,'' H. O. chart No. 3G, being located in latitude 17° 37' 00" N., 

 longitude 73° 21' 00" W. After another run of 15' NW. by W. ^ W. 

 (mag.) we sounded in 2,369 fathoms, brown ooze, latitude 17° 48' 00" N., 

 longitude 73° 34' 15" W., " Loos Shoal " being placed in latitude 17° 45' 

 00" N., longitude 73° 30' 00" W., H. O. chart No. 30. These shoals were 

 searched for in 1872 by H. M. S. Philomel and Plover, and, being unable 

 to find them, they were expunged from the Admiralty charts, but as they 

 were still shown on IL O. charts, we considered it advisable to settle 

 the matter beyond all dispute by ascertaining the actual depth in the 

 localities assigned them. 



The soundings south and west of Jacmel were taken during the prev- 

 alence of strong winds and heavy confused seas. An easterly current 

 of f to 1 knot per hour was encountered in this locality and added not 

 a little to the exceedingly uncomfortable swell. It occurred to me more 

 than once that under certain conditions heavy tide rips or overfalls 

 might be encountered, giving color to reported dangers. 



Another sounding was taken 9' south of Point Aba9ou in 1,039 fath- 

 oms, and then a line run 30' W. | S. (mag.), sounding every 10'; then 

 N W. ^ W. 13', and SSW. (mag.) 53', sounding at intervals of 15', for the 

 purpose of eliminating a large number of negative soundings appearing 

 on the chart, also to examine two shoals referred to in H. O. publication 

 No. 03, vol. 1, p. 220, as follows : 



" More recent soundings of 16 fathoms have been reported in latitude 

 170 45' 00" N., longitude 74° 39' 00" W., and also in latitude 17° 13' 00" 

 N., longitude 74° 58' 00" W." 



We found 803 fathoms within 3 miles of the former position and 1,120 

 fathoms on the position assigned to the latter, demonstrating conclu- 

 sively that shoal water does not exist in the positions named. It is 

 highly probable, however, that much less water maybe found west and 

 north of this locality. The wind and sea moderated as we left the coast, 

 and we finally lost the easterly current. 



From our last position we ran 15' NNW. (mag.) and sounded in 908 

 fathoms, and ihen changed the course to N. by E. (mag.) for 70', sound- 

 ing at intervals of 15' except in one case, when a sounding of the 

 ^lake intervened. A reference to this line will show the bottom to be 

 very uneven in this locality, and a depth of 202 fathoms in latitude 18° 

 18' 30" N., longitude 74° 53' 30" W., about 10' SE. by E. from Navassa, 

 II. Mis. 08 2 



