THE SARGASSO SEA. 



63 



There is a certain spot in the Atlantic known by 

 the name of the Sargasso Sea, which is neither more 

 nor less than a huge ocean-eddy, in which immense 

 quantities of sea- weed collect. The weed floats so 

 thickly on the surface as to give to the sea the ap- 



SARGASSO WEED. 



pearance of solid land ; and ships find extreme diffi- 

 culty in getting through this region, which is ren- 

 dered still further unnavigable by the prevalence of 

 long-continued calms. This Sargasso Sea is of con- 

 siderable extent, and lies off the west coast of Africa, 

 a little to the north of the Cape Verd Islands. 



