BERMUDA ISLANDS. 587 



5 miles S.W. of Challenger Bank, with a depth of 580 fathoms midway 

 between ; she anchored in 30 fathoms on the eastern edge, 24 miles S.W. 

 of Gibbs Hill lighthouse, and found the currents weak and irregular, on 

 one occasion setting S.E., at the rate of three-quarters of a mile an hour. 



Argus Bank appears to be about 6 miles in diameter within the 100- 

 fathoms line, ^vith general depths of 20 to 30 fathoms over it. The least 

 water found by the Argus was 10 fathoms, over brown coral, 26 miles 

 S.W. 1 W. from the lighthouse ; but in 1893, H.M.S. Pelican found only 

 8 fathoms on this spot, so that the coral is probably rapidly growing to 

 the surface. In bad weather the sea would be likely to break on it. 

 From this outer bank the land is not visible. 



Directions for Making the Bermudas. — In hazy weather, or at night, 

 vessels must be very cautious in making these islands, lest the winds or 

 currents should set them on the reefs, or into some inextricable channel. 

 Be particularly cautious in coming from the S.W., as many ships have 

 been lost upon the rocks off this end of the islands. In approaching 

 them by running down a parallel, with a large wind, and not making the 

 land toward night, but expecting to be near it, no vessel in this situation 

 ought to lie-to, but should rather turn to windward, under easy sail, 

 until daylight. The land not being high, it cannot be seen at any great 

 distance from a small vessel ; added to this, the thick haze which fre- 

 quently prevails here, particularly in fine weather, renders making the 

 land somewhat difficult, and at times precarious, unless the latitude be 

 accurately ascertained. Instances have happened of vessels missing the 

 islands, and, after a fruitless search, steering for the American coast, in 

 order to take a fresh departure for running down the latitude again. 



Bermuda is always approached with more safety from the south ; and 

 in running for it at night, or in thick weather, care should be taken not 

 to get to the northward of lat. 32° 8', before seeing either the lights or 

 the land. 



In running for Bermuda from the East, the best parallel is between 

 lat. 32° 15' and 32° 23' ; in which a ship may run boldly, as here there 

 are no rocks at any distance from the land. 



The prevailing winds, with fine weather, in these seas, being from be- 

 tween the South and West, vessels from the West Indies and America 

 generally make these islands by running on their latitude from the west. 

 The best latitude for that purpose is 32° 8', always having regard to a 

 small probable current in the direction the wind blows. 



Admiral Murray recommended vessels bound to these islands from the 

 north and west, when within the Gulf Stream, to steer well to southward, 

 perhaps as much as S.S.E., until within 3 or 4 miles of the latitude of Cape 

 Hatteras ; and then steer S.E. by E. until into latitude 32° 5'. Thus 

 you will avoid crossing the Gulf Stream where it is very broad, and its 

 direction far to the eastward, passing it where it afiects your latitude more 

 than your longitude ; and, of course, be of less consequence to the ship's 

 reckoning. By steering thence so far to the southward as S.E. by E., 

 you will fall into the latitude of the Bermudas at 4 or 5 degrees of longi- 

 tude to the westward. 



You should by no means run for these islands unless sure of your 



