Raftsman's journal. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1854-1948, 1860-11-07
SECRETS OF THE OCEAN.

Mr.. Green, the famous diver, tells singula
stories of his adventures, when making searcl
IN the deep waters of the ocean. He give
| some sketches of what he saw on the Silve
Banks, near Hayti:-
SThe banks of coral on which my diyings
narrated in the previous chapter, were made
are ABOUT forty miles in length from ten tc
twenty in breadth. On the bank of coral is
presented to the diver one of the most beau.
tlfui and sublime scenes the eye ever beheld
Inc water varies from ten to one hundred feet
| In depth, and SO clear that the diver can see
from two to three hundred feet, when sub
| merged, with little obstruction to the sight.
Inc bottom of the ocean in many places on
| these banks, is as smooth as a marble floor ;
| in others it is studded with coral columns,
from ten to one hundred feet In height, and
from one to eighty feet in diameter. The
tops OF those more lofty support myriad of
pyramldal pendants, each forming myriad
more; giving the reality to the imaginary
aoode OF some water nymph. In other places,
tne pendants form arch after arch, and as the
oiVer stands on the bottool of the ocean and
gaZes through these into the deep winding
avenue, he feels that they fill him with as
sacred an awe as If he were in some old cathe-
drai, which had long been buried beneath
'fold oceans wave" Here and there the
coral extends even to the surface of the water,
as II these loftier columns were towers be-
longing to these stately temples now in ruins.
There were countless varieties of diminutve
trees, shrubs and plants, in every crevice of
the corals where the water had deposited the
least earth. They were all of a faint hue,
owing to the pale light they received, al
though of every shade, and entirely different
from plants am familiar with that vegetate
upon dry land. One in particular attracted
my attention; 1t reSembled sea fan of i'm
mense size, of variegated colors and of the
most brilliant hue. The fish which inhabited
these Silver Banks found as different in kind
as the scenery was varied. They were of all
forms, colors and sizes-from the symmetri-
cal goby to the giobe-like sunfish from those
OF the dullest hue to the changeabe dolphin
from the spots of the leopard to the hues of
the sunbeam from the harmless minnow to
the voracious shark. Some had heads like
squirrels, others like cats and dogs; one of
small size resembled bull terrier. Some
darted through the water like meteors, while
others could scarcely be seen to move.
ssTo enumerate and explain all the various
kinds of fish beheld while diving on these
banks, would, were l enough of naturalist
so to do, require more space than my limits
would allow, for am convinced that most OF
the kinds of fish which inhabit the tropical
seas can be found there. The sun-fish, saw
fish, star-fsh, white shark, ground shark, blue
or shovef-nose shark, were often seen. There
were also fish which resembled plants. and
remaining as fixed in their position as shrub.
The only power they possessed was to open
and shut when in danger. Some of them re-
sembled the rose in full bloom and were Of all
hues.
s'There were the ribbed fish, from four and
i've inches to three feet in length. Their
eyes are very large, and protrude like those
OF frog. Another fish was spotted like the
leopard, from three to ten feet in length.
They build their houses like the beaver. in
which they spawn, and the male or female |
watches the egg until it matches. L saw many |
specimens OF the green turtle, some FIVE feet |
long which l should think would weigh from |
four hundred to five hundred pounds. p
Charleston Euening NeUs.