[27] WORK or STEAMER ALBATROSS. 29 



nietliods adopted by the Hattie Weston for locating the shoal on 

 which she struck, or whether her position was entirely by dead-reckon- 

 iug. Assuming the latter to be the case, her ])robable position was on 

 the reef to the westward of Bahia Honda. 



It is a well-known fact that strong southwesterly currents are en- 

 countered between Havana and Cape San Antonio. I hav^e myself 

 expeiienced from ])alf a knot to two knots per hour, and on one occasion 

 it was setting so much on shore that I found it necessary to head off one 

 point and a quarter at an average speed of about 12 knots under steam. 

 Had we laid a course parallel \vith the reef, even with a good offing, we 

 would have found ourselves in shoal water in a few hours, when by our 

 reckoning we should have been at a safe distance off shore. 



There is a note on H. O. chart No. 510 with reference to Colorado 

 Eeefs, which reads as follows: "These reefs are reported to extend fur- 

 ther out." The prevailing current setting inshore has doubtless given 

 rise to the note quoted above. 



We made Cape San Antonio at 8 a. m. the following morning and 

 commenced the work of sounding. The plan adopted was to run lines 

 on and off shore, keeping the light-house on a certain bearing, and sound- 

 ing at intervals varying from half a mile to two miles. The distance 

 from the light-house was measured by a micrometer telescope when- 

 ever the elevation of the landmark would permit, and by a taffrail log 

 when too far off shore to use the telescope. The run by log was 

 checked by the first micrometer distance when approaching land. The 

 bearing of the light-house was changed about one point for each line of 

 soundings, varying somewhat when necessary to pass over the various 

 positions assigned to Sancho Pardo Shoal, for which we were searching. 

 The micrometer telescope was not available at night, but the run was 

 checked at each end of the line offshore by the range of visibility of the 

 light and inshore by the reef. The correct bearing of the light was 

 maintained usually with little difficulty, although at times, particuhirly 

 near the shore, the currents were so strong that without careful watch- 

 ing the vessel would change her bearing very rapidly. 



The above-mentioned plan was adopted from necessity, as, owing to 

 the peculiar form of the land near the cape and the fact that it is laid 

 down incorrectly on the charts, cross-bearings were out of the question 

 except at a very few of the stations. 



Having run the first line inshore S. by E. (mag.), we stood off NNW. 

 (mag.), and at 10.48 a. m. struck 15i fathoms on Antonio Knoll, latitude 

 220 00' 42" ^., longitude 85^02' 00'' W., the latitude being obtained by 

 meridian altitude of the sun with two observers and the longitude by 

 bearing from the light-house. A boat was anchored in the above position 

 and the shoal developed by the ship, 14.] fathoms being the least water 

 found. The center of the knoll lies NN W. ^ W. (mag.) 9 miles from the 

 liglit-housc, and is about 2^- miles in length SW. ^ S. and NE. i N. by 1 

 mile in widtb. A depth of 10 fathoms has been reported on the knoll. 



