I 



GEOGEAPHICAL POSITIONS. 



87 



THE VIRGIN ISLANDS. 



NOTES. 



The United States Government has of late years despatched several officers of its 

 navy to make accurate observations as to the positions of many points of the West 

 Indies and Central America, and the results are given in these Tables, the longitudes 

 having been settled by means of telegraphic signals. 



1. Santo Domingo. — We previously gave the longitude of the City as 69° 58', on the 

 authority of the Spanish Officers, Captains Don. L. Argedas and J. A. Sartorio, who 

 observed an eclipse here in 1780, with a subsequent correction of 1^'. This result was 

 considered by the talented and energetic Sir Robert H. Schomburgk, F.R.G.S., on his 

 appointment to the Dominican Consulate, in 1849, to be too far West, and he accordingly 

 made many observations, and collected others of authenticity, and placed it as stated in 

 the Table. 



2. Alta Vela, or the High SaU. — This is a high rocky islet, which serves as a general 

 point of departiu"e to all ships bound from the eastwai-d to Jamaica, &c. It is peaked, and 

 appears to the northward, at a distance, like a dome, emerging above a mist or fog. 



On the authority of the respected and scientific Admiral Espiuosa, of the Spanish 

 Navy, we formerly gave Alta Vela in long. 71° 22' W., instead of a more westerly 

 position, which had previously been assigned ; but it is now fully proved that this is 

 wrong, and that the true longitude is about 71° 38'. Mr. Dunsterville, from the mean of 

 observations in 1826 and 1829, made it 71° 39' 25" W. Captain R. Owen made the 

 summit in 71° 39' 44" W. 



3. MoRRO OF St. Juan. — The Harbour of St. Juan was surveyed by Don Cosme de 

 Churruca, in 1794. Don Josef Cerquero, Director of the Royal Observatory in the Isle 

 of Leon, near Cadiz, gave the position of the Morro Castle as lat. 18° 29' 0", long. 

 66° 7' 0" W., the longitude being considered as one of the best estabhshed in America 

 The position given in the Table is that established by United States Offtcers in 1875. 



4. Aguadilla. — The situation of AguadUla, as given by the Spanish Officers, is lat. 

 18° 25' 53" N., long. 67° 6' 20" W. Admiral Mackellar gave it as lat. 18° 24' 57" N., long. 

 67° 8' 25" W. On the latest charts, its situation is as given in the Table. 



5. Anegada, with its reef, were surveyed by Mr. (afterwards Sir) Robert Herman 

 Schomburgk, the distingmshed traveller, in 1832. He noticed that, between 1811 and 

 1832, twenty-one American vessels, seventeen West Indian, fifteen Spanish, nine British, 

 two French, two Swedish, and one Portuguese, were wrecked here ; and this is attributed 

 chiefly to the insensible operation of the currents. 



