NO. 2 FRASER : SCIENTIFIC WORK, VELERO III, EASTERN PACIFIC 71 



13' West). It is 600 miles from the nearest mainland, near Cape Corri- 

 entes, Mexico, and 1,400 miles almost due west of Port Culebra, Costa 

 Rica. Apparently, Clipperton is the only sizable atoll in the Eastern 

 Pacific. The lagoon is a couple of miles in breadth, with a depth varying 

 from a few inches to 55 fathoms. The low coral ring that forms the island 

 varies in width from a few yards to a quarter of a mile, and in height, 

 from 5 to 14 feet. 



On the west side of the island there is a clump of cocoanut palms, and 

 on the east side are some scattered palms and a conspicuous rock, Clipper- 

 ton Rock, 62 feet high, which, from certain directions, looks like a sail. 

 The island is fringed by a coral reef and coral rocks, over which there is 

 always a surf breaking. Outside the reef the water deepens rapidly. 



On the occasion of the only visit to this island, the surf was too heavy 

 to attempt landing. Dredging was attempted to the east of the atoll, but 

 the slope was so steep and the bottom so rocky that the attempt met with 

 little success. 



