The Jeffersonian Democrat. [volume] (Chardon, Ohio) 1854-1865, 1860-08-17
Bottom of the Ocean.

Mr.. Green, tho famous diver. tclls singular
stories OF his advontures. whom making
search in tho doop waters Of the ocoai. Ho
gives snmo sketches of what no saw on tho
Silver Banks, near Hayti:
Tho banks of coral Oh which my dvings,
narrated in tho previous chapter, were made,
are about forty milos in length and from ten
to twenty in breadth.
On this bank of coral is presented TO
the diver ono of tho most beautiful and
sublime scenes tho ego over behold, Tho
water varies from ten to ono hundred fee;
deep, and so clear that tho divor can ace
from two 10 three hundred feet, when sub
! merged, with lttlo obstruction to tho sight
The bottom of tho ocean in many places
on these banks, is as smooth as u marble
| floor; in others IL is studded with cora col.
umns, from ten to ono hundi ed frot in height
and from ono to eight fcUt In diameter. -
Tho tops Of those moro lofty, support u
myriad Of pyrumdical pendants, each form.
ing myriad moro; giving tho reality tn
the imaginary abode of some wator nymph
In other places the pendants form arch after
arch aud as tho divor stands on tho bottom
of the ocean. aud gazrs through these into
tho deep winding avenue he teels that they
ali him with as sacred an awe Us il ho were
in somo old cathedral. which had long beer
buried beneath "old oceans wave" Her,
and there, the coral extends even to thesur
fuco of tho water, as If these lottier column
were towers belonging TO these ttatcly TEN
plos now in ruins.
There were countless varieties OF dimin
utivo trcos, shrubs and plants in ovory crov
ice of tho corals, where tho water had do
posted tho least earth. They were all OF 1
faint hue, owing to the pao light they re
ceived, althnueh Of every shade,and entirel,
different from plants ! attn familiar with tha
vegctato upon dry land. Ono in particua
attracted my attention: 1t rescmbled SCI
fan OF immense size of vuriagatud cooIs aOt
of tho most brilliant hue.
The fish which inhabit those Silver Banks
found different in kind. as tho scene wa
varied. They wore of all forms. colors nnt
sizcs--from tho symmetrical gOGy, to th
globe-like snnfish; from those of the dulles
hue to tho changable dolphin; from tn
spots of tho leopard to tho hues Of tho sun
beam from tho harmless miunow to tn
voracious shark. Some had heads lik
squirrels, others like cats aud dogs ono o
small sizs resomb'cd tho bull torrior. Som
dnrtcd through tho water like meieors, Will
others could scarcely be scon to move.
To enumerato aud explain all tho yariou
kinds of fish behold while diving on thos
banks would, were enough of naturals
50 to do. require more space than my limit
will allow, for am convinced that most q
tho kinds of Ash which inhahit tho tropicu
, seas, can bo found there. The suuiish, saw
+ fish. starHsh, wbito shark, ground shark, blu
n or shovel nose shark woro often soen.
There wero also fish which resemble
. plants, and remained as fixed in their pc
) siton as shrub. The only power they pot
sossod was to open and shut whom in DANCE
!. Some of them rcsenbled Tho rose in fu
. bloom and wore OF all hucs.
There wcro tho ribbon fish, from four I
6ve inches to three feet in length. The
: eyes arc worry large, and protudo like ,hos
s Of tho frog Another fish was spotted liR
u tho leopard, from throo to ton foot in lengt
Il Thcy build thor houses like the boavor,
. which they spawn, aud tho male or fcma
@ watches the egg until it batchcs ! sa
!. saw many specimens Of tho green turtl
q somo Ave feet long which should thin
= would weigh from 400 to 500 pounds.