CHAP. XII.] 
BERMUDA. 
255 
of the North Atlantic is reached, where soundings of 3,825 and 
3,875 fathoms have been obtained. It is clear therefore that 
these islands are typically oceanic. 
Soundings were taken by the Challenger in four different 
directions around Bermuda, and always showed a rapid deepen- 
ing of the sea to about 2,500 fathoms. This was so remarkable, 
that in his reports to the Admiralty, Captain Nares spoke of 
Bermuda as “ a solitary peak rising abruptly from a base only 
120 miles in diameter;” and in another place as “ an isolated 
peak rising abruptly from a very small base.” These expressions 
show that Bermuda is looked upon as a typical example of an 
“oceanic peak” ; and on examining the series of official reports 
of the Challenger soundings, I can find no similar case, although 
some coasts, both of continents and islands, descend more 
abruptly. In order to show, therefore, what is the real char- 
acter of this peak, I have drawn a section of it on a true scale 
SECTION OF BERMUDA AND ADJACENT SEA-BOTTOM. 
The figures show the depth in fathoms at fifty-five miles north and forty-six miles south ox 
the islands respectively. 
from the soundings taken in a north and south direction where 
the descent is steepest. It will he seen that the slope is on 
both sides very easy, being 1 in 16 on the south, and 1 in 19 
on the north. The portion nearest the islands will slope more 
rapidly, perhaps reaching in places 1 in 10; but even this is 
not steeper than many country roads in hilly countries, while 
the remainder would be a hardly perceptible slope. Although 
generally very low, some parts of these islands rise to 250 feet 
above the sea-level, consisting of various kinds of limestone 
rock, sometimes soft and friable, but often very hard and even 
crystalline. It consists of beds which sometimes dip as much 
as 30°, and exhibit besides great contortions, so that at first 
sight the islands appear to exhibit on a small scale the pheno- 
mena of a disturbed Palaeozoic district. It has however long 
