AGASSIZ: BAHAMAS. 163 



to prove that they have formed the land intervening between the exist- 

 ing lines of reefs. The bank limited by the 100 fathom line off British 

 Honduras is narrow compared to the wide bank off the Mosquito coast, 

 the width of which at its northern extremity seems to a certain extent 

 to influence the growth of coral reefs and patches, for they are by no 

 means so flourishing as upon the narrow bank off the Honduras coast. 



In addition to the barrier reef off British Honduras there are a num- 

 ber of outlying bauks which from their description resemble the smaller 

 of the Bahama Banks. They are the Chinchorro Bank, the Turneffe 

 Islands, and Lighthouse and Glover Beefs, which in a certain degree 

 resemble irregular atolls. They all lie within the 500 fathom line. The 

 greater part of Chinchorro Bank (Hydrographic Charts Nos. 394, 1072, 

 Admiralty Chart Xo. 1796) is bounded by a reef. There are several 

 openings into the interior which are navigable for small fishing vessels. 

 Lighthouse Reef (Hydrographic Charts Xos. 394, 1120) is bounded by 

 an edging reef; the north end forms a half-moon curve about four miles 

 in diameter ; the east side of the reef is steep to. The Turneffe Islands 

 (Hydrographic Charts Xos. 394, 399, 1120)are an extensive cluster of 

 mangrove islands on a bank of coral and sand thirty miles long and from 

 four to nine wide. The cays are all skirted, at a short distance from both 

 the east and west sides, by a barrier reef with an inside channel having 

 over two fathoms. Glover Beef (Hydrographic Charts Xos. 394, 1120), 

 with the exception of a small part of the east side, is fringed by a barrier 

 reef. 



The Mosquito Bank. 



Upon the Mosquito Bank (Hydrographic Charts Xos. 394, 945), as 

 upon the Yucatan and Honduras Banks, there are patches and reefs 

 rising upon the surface, not entirely covering it, but scattered, as we 

 find the Areas, Triangles, Madagascar, Alacran, and other small reefs. 

 They are more numerous upon the Honduras Bank, and get the full 

 benefit of the prevailing winds, and of the sweep of the currents against 

 their sides and over their surface. 



There are a great number of irregular patches of coral reefs from 

 Monkey Point north of the Bluefield Lagoon (Hydrographic Charts' Nos. 

 391, 1292, Admiralty Chart Xo. 1504), within four or five miles from 

 the coast. From Pearl Cay Lagoon to Man-of-War Cay there are a 

 number of small irregular^' shaped banks rising from a depth of eight 

 to ten fathoms, the largest of which are the reef patches of the Pearl 



