THE NEWLY DISCOVERED CORAL BANK.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXII, Issue 4987, 17 March 1877, Page 3

THE NEWLY DISCOVERED CORAL BANK.

The following further advices have been received at the London office of the New York Herald from its correspondent- in Gibraltar “ The Gettysburg has returned from an unsuccessful effort to make a thorough examination of the bank recently reported. It took four days to reach it, against a strong-westerly gale. Two days -were spent on the bank taking soundings, but on the evenirigof the second day the wind and sea became so violent that the search had to be abandoned. ■ Even while scudding before the gale the Gettysburg did not escape, having been pooped once and struck under the counter twice; the latter shock starting out several rivets, and causing a leak, the former flooding the' officers’ quarters, and making sad havoc with books - and clothing, carpets, and uphostery. - This gale seems to have done considerable damage to shipping in the vicinity of Cape St. Vincent. ■ A report is current that-the; British ironclad Black Prince was roughly handled by the same gale. In spite of the unfavorable weather the Gettysburg succeeded in verifying the position of the bank, and taking about one hundred more soundings. These, with the soundings' taken' on the 16th, 17th, and 18th of November, give a fair outline of its limits and extent, but do not settle the question as to the existence of danger, which it will require, a long time and fine weather-.to settle definitely. The submarine mountain, of which this bank is the summit, is isolated. The base is circular, with a radius of twenty i miles from the summit as a centre', The mountain rises regularly from depths varying between 16,500 ft. and 14,500 ft., or at the rate of 800 ft. to the mile. The summit is capped with a live coral bank, around the edgesof which there are some indications of comparatively recent volcanic disturbance. Speculation as to the probable depth over the shoaleat spots would be futile, but the impression prevails that the : coral comes up to or near the sea level at one or more ’ isolated spots. Already the Italian fishermen are seeking information as to its position, with a view of dredging for valuable coral during the -coming summer where but a short time ago there was’generally supposed to be a depth of two miles. 1 Telegrams from Italy have [been received at Gibraltar asking for information. In 1862 the capt. of the Spanish lugger which ihad been driven off the coast by a gale, reported that he had seen breakers, and sounded in three fathoms, in latitude 36deg. 38min. N. long. 11 deg. 22rain. W. His story was. dis-. credited, and no official notice was taken ofrit at the time. It was left for a Yankee gunboat, nearly half a century afterwards, to demonstrate the great probability of the correctness of his statements. • The difference between the position given by Ugarte without chronometers and that determined by the Gettysburg by the most approved methods is only thirteen miles—an error to which any navigator is liable during stormy weather. The moral of this is evident. Before sneering at what seems improbable in nautical affairs it would be as well to first ascertain if it is possible. Hundreds, perhaps thousands, of vessels have crossed this bank since it was reported by Ugarte, and yet the Gettysburg is the first to ‘ drop a bead over ’ in order to see what truth there might bo in the report.- The bank was discovered by Ugarte, and should be named after him. The Gettysburg will probably complete her examination of the bank during next.summer."