Prescott journal. [volume] (Prescott, Wis.) 1861-1871, 1865-10-28
The Bottom of the Sea-Experienee Of a
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sea DftCE.
The famous diver, Mr.. Green, re-
lates his singular adventures at the seas
bottom on the "Silver Banks" near
Hayti.
The banks of the coral on which my
divings were made are about forty
miles in length, and from ten to twen-
ty in breadth. On this band of coral is
presented to the diver one of the most
beautiful and sublime scenes the eye
ever beheld. The 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 submerged,
with but little distinctions in the
sight.
The bottom of the ocean, in many
places, is as smooth as a marble floor;
in Others it is studded with coral col
umns from ten to one hundred feet in
height, and from one to eight feet IN
diameter. The tops of those more lof-
ty support a myriad more, giving the
reality to the imaginary abode OF some
water nymph. In other places the PEN
dants form an arch; and as the diver
stands on the bottom of the ocean and
gazes through the deep winding avenue,
1
/ cred an awe as If he were IN some ca
thedral which had long been buried be-
meath old oceans wave. Here and there
the coral extends even to the surface OF
the water, as if the loftIer columns
were towers belonging to those stately
temples that are now in ruins.
There were countless varieties of di-
minutive trees, shrubs and plants in
every crevice of the corals where water
had deposited the earth. They were all
of faint hue, owing to the pale light
they received, although of every shade.
and entirely different from plants that I
am familiar with that vegetate upon dry
land. One in particular attracted my
attention it resembled sea fan of i'm
mense size, of variegated colors and the
most brilliant hue. The fish which in
habit those ''Silver Banks" / found as
different in kind as the scenery was va
ried. They were of all forms, colors,
and sizes-from the symmetrical goby
to the globe-fsh sunfsh /; from those OF
the dullest hue to the changeable dol
phin 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 the bull terrier. Some darted
through the water like meteors, while
others could scarcely be seen to move.
TO enumerate and explain all the vari-
Gus kinds of fish beheld while diving
on those banks would, were enough
of naturalist to do SO, require more
than my limits would allow, for I am
convinced that most of the kinds of fish
that inhabit the tropical seas can be
found here. The sunfish, sawfish, star
fish, white shark, blue or shovel-nose
shark, were seen. There were also fish
that resembled plants, and remained as
fixed in their position as shrub; the
only power they possessed was to open
and shut when III danger. Some of
them resembled the rose when in full
bloom, and were of all hues. There
were the ribbon fish, from four or five
inches to three feet in length; their
Eyes are very large, and protrude like
those of a frog. Another fish was spot
tea like the leopard, from three TO ten
feet in length. They build their houses
like beavers, in which they spawn, and
the male or female watches the egg I'M
til it matches. saw many specimens of
the green turtle, some five feet long,
which I should think would weigh from
400 to 500 pounds.