606 SCATTERED ROCKS, SHOALS, AND VIGIAS. 



CoNSTANTE Eeef, lat. 37° 56' 20" N., long. 33° 4' 8" W. ; Ferreira Reef, 



lat. 38° 26' 44" N., long. 30° 25' 10" W. ; and other Doubtful 



Dangers around the Azores Islands. 



On pages 574 — 577, we have given an account of the above and other banka 

 and dangers reported near the Azores, whose existence has not been condrmed. 

 These are Ktitusnff or St. Mary Bank, I'ulloch Rocks, Kens or Europa Rock-, 

 Whale Rock, Gough or Harrison Rocks, &c. The repeated accounts which have 

 been given of earthquake phenomena hereabout ought to induce caution. 



Chantereau Shoal, lat. 38° 27' N., long. 38° — 41° 35' W. 



This shoal, described as a white rock, was said to have been seen by Captain 

 Chantereau, of the ship L'Auyuste, in lat. 38° 24', long. 41° 35', in coming from 

 Martinique, September 6th, 1721, when the sea broke on it very much. It was 

 again announced by Lieutenant E. Scott, commanding the Princess Elizabeth 

 packet, April 24th, 1828, as in lat. 38° 16', long. 39° 48' 50". 



According to a notice in the Derrotero de las Antillas, dated Madrid, July 4th, 

 1846, a shoal or vigia was discovered at 3 p.m.. May 21st, 1846, in fine weather. 

 by Don Gabriel Perez, captain of the Spanish merchant ship Leontina, in lat. 

 38° 27' N., long. 37° 57' 10" W., according to observations made shortly before 

 seeing the rock, and confirmed by chronometer in making Graciosa (Azores) a 

 few days after. 



Here we have three announcements of dangers of similar character in com- 

 paratively close proximity ; if a danger exists, they are probably the same. W* 

 have no further evidence in its favour or to contradict it, but about 25 miles east- 

 ward of the last position a depth of 2,200 fathoms has been found. 



Marsala Bank, lat. 33° 55' N., long. 34° 17' W. 



Captain G. B. Fasce, of the Italian ship Marsala, reported : — On April 19ih, 1877, 

 being in lat. 33° 42' N., long. 34° 25' W., observed a discolouration of the water, 

 and in lat. 33° 55' N., long. 34° 17' W., sounded in 82 fathoms, hard bottom; a 

 second cast, in lat. 34° 1', long. 34° 9', fovmd no bottom at 123 fathoms. The 

 water resumed its blue colour after sailing a few miles. A depth of 1,700 fathoms 

 has been found close to the S.W. of this position. 



RoMANTico Rock, lat. 31° 43' 30" N., long. 33° 43' W. 

 This was reported to have been sighted from the Spanish barque of that name, 

 April 3rd, 1886, about 500 miles'S.S.W. of the Azores. It was 64 ft. long, N.N.W. 

 and S.S.E., and 4J ft. above water at its S.W. end, with a rocky reef above water 

 on its North side. It appeared to be of red stone, of a circular form, with patches 

 of grass or weed on it. Could this have been an iron hull, floating bottom up ? 



CHALLENGER AND ARGUS BANKS, S.S.W. of Bermuda. 



These off-lying banks, well known to the fishermen, are described pre- 

 viously, on pages 586—587. 



Deep Soundings Sotdhward of Bermuda. [Doubtful.) 



In 1850, the commander of the ship Chaucer reported as follows : — " In lat. 

 27° 10' N., long. 62° 45' W. (which would be 330 miles S. by E. % E., true, from 

 Bermuda), on April 20th, water blue, with much gulf-weed, weather calm, no 

 current, the boat was lowered ; lot run the lead, and got bottom in 744 fathoms. 

 April 15th, lat. 27° 31' N., long. 60^ 3' W., soHi:dcd and got bottom in 366 fathoms. 

 April 20th, lat. 29° 20' N., long. 64° 11' W., sounded and got bottom in 620 

 iathoms." There is no doubt but that the imperfect means employed deceiv**^ 



