BANK OF LA VIBOBA. 201 



western extremity of the great bank of La Vibora. "We 

 were often forced to diverge from our course; and, on 

 account of the extreme smallness of our vessel, we were 

 almost constantly under water. On the 18th March, at 

 noon, we found ourselves in latitude 18 17' 40", and in 

 81 5(X longitude. The horizon, to the height of 5CP, was 

 covered with those reddish vapours so common within the 

 tropics, and which never seem to aifect the hygrometer at 

 the surface of the globe. We passed fifty miles west of 

 Cape Negril on the south, nearly at the point where several 

 charts indicate an insulated flat, of which the position is 

 similar to that of Sancho Pardo, opposite to Cape San 

 Antonio de Cuba. We saw no change in the bottom. It 

 appears that the rocky shoal at a depth of four fathoms, 

 near Cape Negril, has no more existence than the rock 

 (cascabel) itself, long believed to mark the western extre- 

 mity of La Vibora (Pedro Bank, Portland Eock, or la Sola), 

 marking the eastern extremity. On the 19th of March, at 

 four in the afternoon, the muddy colour of the sea denoted 

 that we had reached that part of the bank of La Yibora, 

 where we no longer find fifteen, and indeed scarcely nine or 

 ten, fathoms of water. Our chronometric longitude was 

 81 3' ; and our latitude probably below 17. I was sur- 

 prised that, at the noon observation, at 17 7' of latitude, 

 we yet perceived no change in the colour of the water. 

 Spanish vessels going from Batabano or Trinidad de Cuba 

 to Carthagena, usually pass over the bank of La Vibora, on 

 its western side, at between fifteen and sixteen fathoms 

 water. The dangers of the breakers begin only beyond the 

 meridian 80 45' west longitude. In passing along the 

 bank on its southern limit, as pilots often do in proceeding 

 from Cumana or other parts of the mainland, to the Great 

 ( 'ayinan or Cape San Antonio, they need not ascend along 

 tin.- rocks, above 16 47' latitude, fortunately the currents 

 run on the whole bank to S.W. 



Considering La Vibora not as a submerged land, but as a 

 heaved-up part of the surface of the globe, which has not 

 reached the level of the sea, we are struck at finding on 

 this great submarine island, as on the neighbouring land of 

 Jamaica and Cuba, the loftiest heights towards its eastern 

 boundary. In that direction are situated Portland Bock, 



