[17] WOKK OF STEADIER ALBATROSS. 19 



Formigas Bauks. A line was then run SSW. ^ W. (mag.) 50^, sounding 

 at intervals of about 12'. The greatest depth, 1 ,153 fathoms, was found 

 midway between the banks and Morant Point, the last cast on the line 

 giving 450 fathoms 10' ESE. ^E. (mag.), from the light, which was in 

 fall view. 



Having located the ship accurately with reference to the above-men- 

 tioned liglit, we started ahead at 4 a. m. running a line ESE. f E. (mag.), 

 sounding at short intervals, toward a shoal marked as follows on H. O. 

 chart No. 35, " ( S) shoal," and concerning which the following references 

 are made in H. O. publication No. 63, pp. 226 and 227 : 



"Several reports have been received of banks in the windward chan- 

 nel. H. M. brig Eenard in 1805 sounded in 18 fathoms for five miles on 

 an easterly course on a bank considered to be 16 miles in length in 

 latitude 17° 44' OO/*' N. and NE. 27' from Morant Cays. 



"Mr. John S. Holt, master of the brig Georgia, reports in 1867 that on 

 his passage from Kingston, Jamaica, toward Navassa Island he sounded 

 in 14 fathoms of water, and from the color of the bottom he judged that 

 some places on the bank had as little as 8 or 10 fathoms of water. The po- 

 sition of the shoal he gives as latitude 17° 40' 00" N., longitude 75^45' 00" 

 W., Point Morant bearing by compass W.by N. 28 miles. There is doubt- 

 less a shoal in this vicinity, and the attention of navigators is called to the 

 desirability of obtaining and publishing its exact position and extent." 



Although the above positions difier somewhat from each other and 

 from that found by us, they evidently refer to the same bank. We 

 found 21 fiithoms on the northern end of the shoal ESE. ^ E. (mag.) 

 about 32' from Morant Point light-house, in latitude 17° 44' 00" K, 

 longitude 75° 50' 00" W. It is about 9' in length NNE. ^ E. and SSW. 

 ^ W., and from 3' to 4' in width . TLie least water found was 17^ fathoms. 



After finding the shoal as mentioned above, we anchored a boat with 

 a flag at her mast-head, and ran lines of soundings oft' and on until dark, 

 when, owing to our nearly empty bunkers, we were obliged to start for 

 port intending to complete the examination on our way to Savanilla. 

 Leaving the southern edge of the bank, we ran a line W. by N. (mag.) 

 58', sounding at intervals. The depth of water found the first cast (f 

 SE. of an 18-fathom sounding on the edge of the bank) was 360 fathoms, 

 increasing to 838 fathoms 3^' to the westward, the greatest depth on 

 the line, 875 fiithoms, being reached 4' farther to the westward, from 

 400 to 700 fathoms being found throughout the remainder of the line. 

 Port Royal light bore NNW. i W. (mag.) 7' distant at the last sounding 

 on the above line, which gave 484 fathoms. Another and the last cast 

 before entering i)ort gave 400 fathoms 2' NW. by N. (mag.) from the 

 position above-mentioned and quite near the bank. A course was 

 then laid for the entrance, and we reached quarantine without diffi- 

 culty. We were detained there about half an hour before satisfactory 

 arrangements could be made in the absence of a bill of health, which 

 we had omitted to procure at the last port. Our own certificate wag 



