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WATSON EOCK, lat. 40° 18' N., long. 53° 40' W. 



Captain T. A. Watson, of the Harbinger, reported that at 8 a.m., 

 April 20th, 1824, in moderate weather, his vessel passed close to leeward 

 of a rock, just even with the surface, and covered with weed, about 

 3 fathoms or more in diameter ; it uncovered several feet in the hollow of 

 the sea. The first officer and others also saw it, and on quickly heaving 

 the lead no bottom was found at 90 fathoms. For several miles round it 

 the water was dark, as if on soundings. He concludes his report by 

 saying : — " During the many years (14) I have commanded a ship, 

 mostly in the North American trade, I have seen various things in the 

 ocean, and was too well acquainted to mistrust my eyes in this case. It 

 is said that Daraith saw a danger not far from this ; perhaps it may be a 

 part of the same, as he represented it as very extensive. I am convinced 

 we too often treat doubtful dangers, in charts, with indifference, because 

 they are are not always seen by those who look for them ; may it not be 

 the case that ships sometimes are wrecked on them, and never heard of ? 

 However, I shall always dread the above danger when sailing in that part 

 of the ocean." 



Captain Lopez, of the Spanish ship Sa,ntissima Trinidad, reported that 

 he saw Watson Eock on October 8th, 1875, and described it as being 

 circular, black, and about 26 ft. in diameter, with two small peaks on its 

 southern part. He lowered a boat and approached on the N.W. and S.E. 

 sides to within 30 yards of the rock, and found bottom in 23 and 32 

 fathoms, but a little farther off he could get no bottom at 82 fathoms. 



In 1879, the J] .S.S. Kearsarge unsuccessfully searched for Watson Eock 

 during two entire days, under most favourable circumstances of wind, 

 weather, and sea, sounding frequently with 190 fathoms of line. 



Dangers have frequently been reported in this region (see Anna, 

 Hamilton, and Daraith Eocks, in subsequent Tables of Shoals, &c.), but 

 considering how constantly this region is now traversed, it seems ex- 

 tremely improbable they can exist. Possibly, they may have been ice- 

 bergs, floating low in the water. 



OASHB LEDGE, lat. 42° 56' N., long. 68° 51' 30" W. 



This is a bank, with soundings under 50 fathoms, lying in the approach 

 to Boston from the eastward, and on it are two rocky patches, with only 

 a few fathoms over them. Gashe or Amnien Bock, one of these, is a dan- 

 gerous reef, with very irregular soundings, having from 10 to 4^ fathoms 

 in the length of a boat. The least water on the rock is 26 ft. ; a less depth 

 has been reported by the fishermen, but they sound with their fishing 

 lines, perhaps not accurately marked, and with a lead insufficient to press 

 down or pass through the thick kelp which covers the rock. . The extent, 

 having less than 10 fathoms, is about half a mile N.W. by W. and 

 S.E. by E., and very narrow. It is surrounded by deep water at a short 

 distance, particularly on the S.E. side, where the depth increases suddenly 

 to 60 fathoms. There is 17 fathoms within a cable's length of it, deepen- 

 ing in a short distance to 90 fathoms, on the western side. Sigsbee Bock, 

 N, A. 0, 77 



