70 The Sea 
(1845). More reports of having seen the island came in 
1878, 1882, and 1893, so that the island’s existence again — 
seemed more likely. In 1898 the oceanographic vessel Val- 
divia finally established its position, 54° 26’ S, 3° 24’ E. 
THE AURORAS 
The Auroras were islands supposed to exist somewhere east 
of the Falkland Islands, but since then have been proved non- 
existent. According to a report of the Royal Hydrographical 
Society in Madrid (1809) the Auroras were first discovered 
by the ship of the same name in 1762, sighted next by the © 
ship Princess in 1790, and were finally surveyed and defi- — 
nitely established by the hydrographic corvette Atrevida 
(1794). Despite the scientific calculations and descriptions — 
of the report, it seems to have been either falsified or grossly © 
mistaken. Captain James Weddell made an attempt to find — 
the Auroras in 1820, but a most diligent search of the area : 
failed. Repeated present day sailings through this area con- © 
firm the nonexistence of the islands. 
The interested reader may find a full account of the Au- 
roras and other doubtful islands in Oddities, A Book of Un- 
explained Facts by Lieutenant Commander Rupert T. Gould, 
R.N. (Philip Alan Co., London, 1928). Lieutenant Com- 
mander Gould is also the author of a masterly history of the 
marine chronometer. 
Ty 
ATLANTIS—BURIED CIVILIZATION 
Atlantis, the once flourishing continent, the flower of an- 
cient civilization which suddenly sank beneath the sea, is 
one of our most persistent myths. The legends of many cul- 
tures refer to a highly developed civilization in prehistory 
which met a sudden end, and was destroyed without leaving 
