30 REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. [28J 



and altli()n<;'h avc failed to find it, \ have no doubt tliat the reports are 

 correct. The formation is coral and the whole surface very uueven, as 

 shown by our soundings. 



At 2.50 p. m. we hoisted the boat and continued the lines off and on 

 shore until we pretty well covered the ground to the westward of the 

 light. With the exception of Antonio Knoll, we found the water to 

 deepen gradually as we left the reef until the thousand-fathom line was 

 reached, from 15 to 20 miles off shore. There were 1,140 fathoms on 

 the position originally assigned Sancho Pardo Shoal in IGOG, and not 

 less than 500 lathoms in any of the half-dozen localities in which it has 

 been subsequently reported. I have no doubt that vessels found them- 

 selves unexpectedly in shoal water when by their reckoning they were 

 in the several i)ositions assigned to the shoal ; but no navigator familiar 

 with the strong currents in the region off the cape, after having exam- 

 ined our soundings, will find it difficult to connect them with Antonio 

 Knoll, or even the Colorado Reefs. The remarkable distinctness with 

 which the numberless coral growths can be seen on Antonio Knoll, 

 through the clear blue waters of the Gulf, contributed, doubtless, in no 

 small degree toward the erroneous impression that they were in much 

 shoaler water than really existed in that locality. 



The weather could not have been more favorable for our work, which 

 was carried on day and night until the evening of the 4th, when we an- 

 chored near the Leila Cays. The longitude of Cape San Antonio light- 

 house was obtained the next day by Lieutenant Schroeder, several sets 

 of equal altitude of the sun being taken, and the meridian distance car- 

 ried to Key ^Vest. 



The height of the tower above the ground is 23.1 meters; height of 

 base of tower above mean sea-level, 18 meters; height of light above 

 mean sea-level, 30 meters ; revolving light ; ])eriod of brilliancy, C sec- 

 onds; i)ar(ial eclipse, 24 seconds; ])ower of light, 1,440 carcel burners; 

 longitude (Lieutenant Schroeder), 84° 57' 38" W., and is 100 yards from 

 the beach. 



The navigator returned at 5 j). m., and at 7 we got under way and ran 

 a line of soundings NNW. (mag.) 20 miles from the light, where, ac- 

 cording to the light-house keeper, the shoal had been reported. The 

 depths increased gradually from Antonio Knoll to nearly 1,000 fathoms 

 at the distance above-mentioned, which, taken in connection with de])ths 

 on contiguous lines, makes the existence of a shoal in that position 

 wholly impossible. We finished the soundings and started for Alba- 

 tross Shoal at 1 a. m., and at 8.43 cast the lead a short distance outside 

 of the reef in 388 fathoms, latitude 22° 41' 20" N., longitude 84° 15' 00" 

 W. (mag.), then run 4 miles N. J W. (mag.) and sounded in 817 fathoms, 

 then 4 miles further on the same course and sounded in 950 tathoms on 

 the position assigned to the shoal on 11. O. chart ^o. 510, latitude 

 220 49' 20" IN\, longitude 84° 15' 00" W. We then run 4 miles E. ^ N. 

 (mag.) and sounded in 801 fathoms, after wliich a course was laid for 



