THE AZORES ISLANDS. 571 



the longitude by a good chronometer, the rock being about IJ miles distant, I com- 

 pute their situation to be lat. 37° 66' 20" N., long. 33° i' 8" W. 



" On August 31st I passed near another rock, which is marked in the chart at 

 having been seen by Captain Robson (about 75 miles westward of Fayal). At 

 8 a.m. I saw some rocks above water, over which the sea broke, and which I passed 

 to leeward at the distance of 1 to 2 miles, in lat. 38° 26' 44' N., long. 30° 25' 10' W.* 

 The first of these reefs was named Constante Reef, and the second Ferreira Reef. 



Near to the asserted position of Constante Reef, Captain J. Keyzer, of tha 

 Dutch ship Bato, on May 5th, 1845, saw a white patch about 130 ft. in diameter, 

 in lat. 37° 42' N., long. 32° 57' W. The sea was smooth at the time. 



In Benin's chart of 1742 a vigia is marked in lat. 37° 50' N., long. 34° 18' W., 

 originally copied from Van Keulen, and named Martyr Shoal, or Vigia dos Azores. 

 This is about 60 miles westward of Constante Reef. 



Against the authenticity of these reports we have the authority of Captain 

 T. D. Sickens, of the Dutch Marine, who passed over the area with a good look- 

 out from the rigging, without feeing anything, and then steered N W. by N. over 

 Constante Reef, «fec., with the same result. 



Again, a volcanic shock was f.?!t March 13th, 1853, in lat. 38° 9' N., long. 

 31° 65' W, Near to this, however, a depth of 2,000 fathoms has been found. 



At all events much circumspection is necessary in sailing through these parts. 



Rhoon ok Pbonk Rocks. — Captain A. Pronk, of the Dutch bark De Hoop, 

 stated that on the afternoon of April 6th, 1844, the vessel passed within a cable's 

 length of an extensive group of rocks, some more than 16 ft. high, against which 

 the sea broke furiously. By very good observations and a truitworthy chrono- 

 meter, this danger was placed in lat. 38° 32' N., long. 33" 16' W., which would bo 

 about 40 miles northward of Constante Reef. 



Atila Rock. — The captain of the Spanish brigantine Atila reported that in 

 May, 1856, he and his crew saw a rock in lat, 36° 31' N., long. 32° 24' W., ot 

 about 200 miles W.S.W. of Fayal. The weather prevented an examination, but 

 itB existence is extremely doubtful. 



We have thus enumerated the above reports, more as a matter of in- 

 terest, than from belief in the existence of these dangers. And we can 

 only here again express our regret, that originators of such reports should 

 take so little pains to verify them by close investigation. 



N.A.O. 74 



