The Howard union. (Glasgow, Mo.) 1865-1866, 1865-07-13
THE OCEAN BOTTOM.

Mr.. Green, the famous diver, tells sim
gular stories of his adventures. when maxi
ing search in the deep waters of the ocean.
He gives some new sketches Gf what he
saw at the "Silver Bank" near Hayti:
"The banks Of the coral on which my
divings were made, are about forty miles
in length, and from ten to twelve in breath.
On this bank of coral is presented TO the
diver one of the most beautiful and sublime
scenes the eye ever beheld. The water
varies from ten 10 one hundred feet in
depth, and j, so clear that the diver can
see from two TO three hundred feet, when
submerged, with but little or no obstruc.
tion to the sight.
The bottom of the ocean in many places
is as sta Doth as a marble floor; IN others ii
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 pyri.
inidal pedants, each forming myriad more
giving the reality to the imaginary abode OF
some water rph. In other places the
pedants form arch after arch and as the
diver stands on the bottom Of the ocean and
gazes through, in the deep winding avenue,
he finds that they fill him with as sacred
an awe as if he wei in some'old cathedral,
which had long been buried beneath the
oceans wave. Here and there the coral
extends even TO the urface of the water, as
il the hotter columns were towers belonging
to those stately temples that are now in
ruins.
There we've countless varieties Of dimin-
utive trees, shrubs and plants, in every
crevfce OF the corals where the water had
deposited the EARTH They were all of a
faint hue, owing to The pale light they re-.
ceived, although Of every shade, and entire
ly different from plants that | am familiar
with that vegetate upon.dry land. One in
particular attracted my attention. 1t re.
sembled sea fan Of immense size, of va
riegated coors and the most brilliant hue.
The fish which inhabit these Silver Banks, !
found as different in kind as the scenery
was varied. They were of all forms, colors
and sizes--from the symmetrical to the
globe-like sun fish; from those oithe dulest
Lue to the changeable dolphin, from the
harmless minnow 10 the voracious shark
Some hal heads like squirrels, others
like cats and dogs, one of small size resem
bes the bull terrier. Some darted through
the water like meteors, while others coult
scarcely be seen TO move. To enumeratt
and explain all the various kinds of fish
behed while diving on these banks, would
were | enough of naturalist TO do SO, re
quire more than my limits would allow, fo
am convinced that most oil the kinds OF fisl
which inhabit the tropical seas, can be foun(
there. The suntish sawfsh, white shark
blue or shovel nose shark, were often seen
There were also fish which resemble
plants, and remained as fixed in their posi-
ton as a shrub. Some Of them resemblet
the rose when in full bloom, and were of al
hues. There were the ribbon fish, from
four or five inches to three feet in length
their eyes are very large, and protrude a
those Of frog.
Another fish was spotted like leopard
from three TO ten feet in length. The,
build their hotses like beavers, in whicl
they spawn, and The male or female watche
the egg until it matches. | also saw man,
specimens of the green turtle, some Of then
five feet long, which should think, woul
weigh from 400 to 500 pounds.