( 603 ) 



2.— BETWEEN THE EQUATOE AND LATITUDE 40^ N. 



D^DALus Rock, oil" Capb St. Vincent, in about, lat. SG'^ 30' N., long. 9" 16' W. 



(Veri/ Doubtful). 



The old charts of the Atlantic indicated a danger at the distance of 35 to 45 

 miles to the S.W. of Cape St. Vincent. This danger was omitted in the French 

 chart of 1786, and subsequently in other charts, from the supposition that, if it 

 really existed, it must have received some confirmation. But Captain Taylor, of 

 the brig Laurel, of Whitby, reported that, in about 1813, the Dcedalus, transport, 

 struck on this rock, and received so much damage as rendered it necessary for 

 her to put into Lisbon for repairs. Captain Taylor was in the fleet when the 

 Deedahis struck. 



The brig Briton, Captain Stokes, was also lost, in consequence of striking upon 

 the rock, in December, 1821. After she struck she swang off, and he then imme- 

 diately tried for soundings, but got none. Captain Stokes had not seen Cape 

 St. Vincent, but supposed it at the time to bear N.E. by N. ^ N., distant 28 or 30 

 miles. These particulars were communicated by Captain Livingston, who says, 

 " This information was given to me in Malaga, in September, 1822, by Captain 

 T. Tankersly, of the schooner Lord Mulffrave, of London. Captain Tankersly 

 added, that he had met with another master (name forgotten), who said he had 

 observed the sea- weed on this rock ; got out his boat, and held on by some of the 

 weed. He supposed the rock to be about 50 yards in circumference." 



Captain Livingston also wrote to us, October 28th, 1822, as follows : — " I have 

 information on which I can rely, from a very respectable naval officer, whose name 



I do not consider myself at liberty to mention, that H.M.S. Indefutignble, com- 

 manded by Sir Edward Pellew, actually struck on the rock, or a rock, off Cape 

 St. Vincent, and received some damage." 



The existence of this rock was also affirmed on March 6th, 1839, by Mr. John 

 Aves, commanding the schooner Tantivy, of Plymouth. At 9'' 30"" p.m., this 

 vessel, on her voyage from Zante, passed close to the eastward of it ; it was not 

 seen till close aboard, and not avoided without difficulty. There was a swell 

 from the N.W. breaking over it, and a sheet of foam, about 20 to 25 fathoms in 

 circumference. The Taiitivy stood in N.N.E. on the port tack, till 7 next morn- 

 ing, then tacked to the southward, passing the cape at the distance of about 2 

 miles. The rock was thus estimated to lie considerably to the eastward of its 

 position, as shown by the chart, and to bear about S.S. W., true, 37 to 40 miles 

 from the cape. 



That this rock does not exist in the position usually assigned to it in modern 

 charts is proved by the following, which we translate from the " Annales Hydro- 

 graphiques," part 3, 1875, page 473 : — " The Nautilus, during her passage from 

 Lisbon to Gibraltar, searched for Daedalus Rock over its reported position, 30 to 

 35 miles S.W. of Cape St. Vmcent, in lat. 36° 30' N., long. 9° 16' W. Having 

 previously determined the position of the ship by bearings of the land, she was 

 steered direct for the N.E. portion of the area to be searched, and then cruised 

 East and West, covering a distance of 315 mUes, continually sounding. Of the 



II soundings tried, only one reached the bottom in about 350 fathoms, the others 

 found no bottom between 90 and 130 fathoms. The weather was beautiful, with 

 bright sunshine, the water of a deep blue, and the swell from the S.E. sufficient 

 to indicate a danger by breaking over it. Four men were placed in the rigging, 

 on the look-out for anything to indicate the danger, such as weeds, eddy, or 

 breakers. But nothing was seen of the danger, and it was concluded that it did 

 not exist, or, at any rate, not in its assigned position." 



