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THE NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC MAGAZINE 



and seaweed, reflections from the clouds, 

 marine animalculae, vegetable growth, 

 scum, floating volcanic matter, and 

 partially submerged wrecks covered with 

 barnacles have been mistaken for islands, 

 shoals, or reefs. 



A school of jumping fish has given the 

 appearance of breakers or caused a sound 

 like surf, and tide rips have often been 

 mistaken for breakers. Raper very 

 properly calls attention to the obligation 

 resting upon every seaman to investigate 

 carefully doubtful cases and to make re- 

 liable reports. "Of the dangers to which 

 navigation is exposed none is more for- 

 midable than a reef or a shoal in the open 

 sea ; not only from the almost certain 

 fate of the ship and her crew that have 

 the misfortune to strike upon it, but also 

 from the anxiety with which the naviga- 

 tion of all vessels, within even a long 

 distance, must be conducted, on account 

 of the uncertainty to which their own 

 reckonings are ever open. No com- 

 mander of a vessel, therefore, who might 

 meet unexpectedly with any such danger 

 could be excused, except by urgent cir- 

 cumstances, from taking the necessary 

 steps both for ascertaining its true po- 

 sition and for giving a description as 

 complete as a prudent regard to his own 

 safety allowed." 



As to the older doubtful dangers now 

 shown on the oceanic charts, it is esti- 

 mated that the positions may be consid- 

 ered as uncertain by 10 miles in latitude 

 and 30 miles in longitude, and areas of 

 this extent must be searched to determine 

 definitely the question of their existence. 



WRECKS THAT CAUSED TROUBLE 



The following are interesting or typi- 

 cal cases of reported dangers : 



The Spanish steamer Carmen was 

 wrecked in 1891 by running on a rock 

 off the southwest coast of Leyte, in the 

 Philippines ; the rock was reported to 

 lie one mile off shore, a dangerous posi- 

 tion for vessels using Canigao Channel. 

 A survey made in 1903 showed 58 feet 

 of water in this location, and that Car- 

 men Rock, on which the vessel struck, 

 was really within one-fourth mile of the 



beach. The rock had, however, for 

 twelve years been shown on the charts 

 in a position which made it an obstruc- 

 tion to navigation. 



The ship Minerva in 1834 was re- 

 ported to have struck a rock near the 

 middle of the broad entrance to Balayan 

 Bay ; the fact that this occurred at 2 a.m. 

 indicated a very doubtful position, but it 

 was stated that an American ship had 

 previously been wrecked on the same 

 rock. It consequently appeared as a 

 danger on the charts for seventy-one 

 years, when a survey showed no depth 

 of less than 190 fathoms in this vicinity, 

 and it was removed from the charts. 



A British steamer was wrecked in San 

 Bernardino Strait in 1905. The master 

 reported that he was in a position where 

 the chart showed 51 fathoms, and that 

 he was i l / 2 miles distant from Calantas 

 Rock, and on these grounds the finding 

 of the official inquiry was that "no blame 

 can be attached to the master, officers, or 

 any of the crew for the casualty." 

 Very shortly after the disaster the sur- 

 veying steamer Pathfinder definitely lo- 

 cated the wreck and made a survey of 

 the vicinity. The previous chart of 

 Calantas Reef was found to be fairly 

 correct, and the stranding was deter- 

 mined to have occurred well within this 

 reef, in a position where the chart 

 showed soundings of 3% to 4% fathoms, 

 and one-half mile from Calantas Rock, 

 which rises 5 feet above high water. 



A transport entering San Bernardino 

 Strait a few years ago ran on a rock 

 and was damaged. The position was re- 

 ported as about two miles southeast of 

 San Bernardino Island and near the 

 middle of the passage. The rock was 

 not put on the charts, as prompt inves- 

 tigation showed 50 fathoms of water in 

 this vicinity, and that in all probability 

 the transport actually touched a small 

 reef making out from the island. 



The master of the brig Helen reported 

 that his vessel was wrecked on a reef 

 lying six miles from Rockall. When sur- 

 veyed Helen Reef was found to be about 

 one-third this distance from Rockall. 



An island has been reported in eight 



