FLORIDA BEEFS AND KEYS. 209 



The distance between the reef and the main range of Keys 

 varies usually from six to two or three miles, the widest sep- 

 aration being south of Key West, and east of the Ragged 

 Keys, where the space is about seven miles. Between this 

 reef, upon which a few small Keys rise at distant intervals, 

 and the main range of Keys already described, there is a broad 

 navigable channel, extending the whole range of the reef from 

 the Marquesas to Cape Florida, varying in depth from three to 

 six fathoms, and except Love Key, where the passage is not 

 more than fourteen feet deep at low water, averaging from 

 three to four fathoms. 



"Farther east the average depth is again the same as at 

 Love Key, but it becomes gradually more and more shoal 

 toward the east, measuring usually about two fathoms or 

 even less to the east of Long Key and Key Largo, but deep- 

 ening again somewhat toward Cape Florida, where the reef 

 converges toward the main Keys and main-land. Protected 

 by the outer reef, this channel affords a very safe navigation 

 to vessels of medium size, and would allow a secure anchor- 

 age almost everywhere throughout the whole length of the 

 reef, were the numerous deep channels which intersect the 

 outer reef well known to navigators, and marked by a regu- 

 lar system of signals. As it is, however, the reef seems 

 to present an unbroken range of most dangerous shoal 

 grounds, upon which thousands of vessels, as well as millions 

 of property, have already been wrecked. These facts have a 

 stronger claim upon the attention of the Government, since 

 there are, as already remarked, numerous passages across the 

 reef, which might enable even the largest vessels to find 

 shelter and safe anchorage behind this threatening shallow 

 barrier. * * * 



"The reef proper, as we have remarked above, runs al- 

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