586 SUPPLEMENTAKY REMARKS ON WINDS. ETC. 



sea, rising in confused and breaking waves, renders the situation of & 

 vessel, particularly a small one, very dangerous. ^ 



The conduct pursued by seamen, and which appears to be the most 

 advisable under such circumstances, is to furl the ship's sails, and endea- 

 vour to get before the wind ; by which means she may ultimately run 

 clear of these local squalls into a steady breeze. It is an observation 

 made by seamen who are familiar with the Bermuda Islands, that the 

 various winds which blow meet there and contend for superiority ; and 

 the inhabitants themselves remark, that the Currents about their rocks 

 are as variable as the winds, and numerous as their islets. 



The Currents ^^ very variable, both in strength and direction, being 

 greatly influenced by the wind. Caution is therefore necessary in making 

 the islands in thick weather. 



In 1879, the officers of H.M.S. Flamingo took careful series of soundings 

 to determine the distance to which the 100-fathoms line of soundings 

 extends from the northern and western edges of the encircling reefs. The 

 depth gradually increases from 6 or 8 fathoms, close-to, to 30 and 35 

 fathoms, and then suddenly to no bottom at 100 fathoms. Thus, on the 

 East side, the lOO-fathoms line is found at 3 miles distant from the reef ; 

 on the South side, at 1| mile ; off the S.W. extremity, about 5 miles ; 

 and on the North and West sides, at 2 to 3 miles. 



It is thus seen that the depth increases with extreme rapidity. At 

 7 miles N.N.W. of North Rock there is a sounding of 1,370 fathoms. At 

 10 miles ofE the N.E. side of the reef, are soundings of 1,530 and 1,260 

 fathoms ; at 7 miles off the S.E. side, 1,240 fathoms ; at 6 miles to the 

 South; 1,325 and 1,075 fathoms ; at 6 miles to the West, 1,950 fathoms ; 

 and at 10 miles to the N.W., 2,100 and 1,710 fathoms. The abruptness 

 and isolation of this peak, which runs up a solitary cone to a height above 

 the bed of the ocean about equal to that of Mont Blanc, is certainly 

 unusual ; probably the most reasonable hypothesis may be that the kernel 

 is a volcanic mountain, comparable in character with Pico in the Azores, 

 or the Peak of Tenerife. 



Off-lying Banks. — The only direction in which there would seem to be 

 a series of detached banks is along an extension of the axis of the reef to 

 the S.W. H.M.S. Challenger anchored for a night in 30 fathoms water 

 on this line, about 20 miles from the edge of the reef, and Argus Bank lies 

 at a still greater distancs in the same direction. The following particulars 

 are derived from examinations made by the officers of several of H.M. 

 ships. They abound with fish, such as snappers and large rock-fish. 



Challenger Bank, sounded over by H.M.S. Challenger, in May, 1873, 

 appears to be about 5 miles in diameter within the lOO-fathoms line, with 

 general depths of 24 to 30 and 40 fathoms over it, coral bottom, and very 

 steep-to. From the depth of 24 fathoms, on its N.E. edge, Gibbs Hill 

 Hghthouse bore N.E. by E. ^ E., distant 13^ nules, with great depths 

 between. 



Argus Bank. — In June, 1829, H.M.S. Columbine anchored on the N.W. 

 part of this bank, in 35 fathoms, 24 1 miles S.W. by W. from Gibbs Hill 

 lighthouse, and in April, 1836, H.M.S. Larne found a depth of 28 fathoms 

 in the same locality. In 1879, H.M.S. Argus found this bank to He about 



