Council Bluffs bugle. [volume] (Council Bluffs, Iowa) 1860-1868, 1868-06-18


u; sE VII 9
VT an6ilElElg 80 ~ tise dep
,e.s 3 4 H IA s D, h e s,,s
sEliveu bonkR go s13avta The
wsna $50, - 6kout Dry n6ilas "a
length, nkld fxum Cen 10 tweuty in
breadth. On this bank or coral Is
presented I'd tha <liyar enH6f the most
beautiful and sublime sceNes the eye
ever heheld The water VARIES from
ten 10 ore hundred fees Ia tlspkh and
il 80 clear That the diver car see from
two to three huzldrea feat wheu sub
merged with hun little os,ssfus:lion
% the sight. Iha bottom ct the
oceaa IN many places ID rs smooth a.
q marble H0or Ia others Il Is studied
with c0fxI columns, from ten to oale
hundred feet III height. and from onH
20 eighty sect in diameter. The tops
Of those more lofty supports nayr.aa
uf pvnanidal pendants, each forming
q myriad Inere, giving reality % the
imaginary abode OF sonae water
flymph. In other places the pea
ehgnts form arch after arela, and as the
the diver stands On the bottom ofthe
ocean, and gazes through IN the deep
winding avenues, lie finds that they
ill! him with rs sacred an awe a. IL
he were IN some old cathedral which
has long been buried beneath old
oceans wave. Here aud there the
cbsas extends even 70 the surface OF
the water, % II The lofflest columns
were towers belonging 10 those ssase-
IL temples that are naw In ruins.
There were countless varieties OF
trees, Shrubs and p!as:lH in every
1rerice of the eorals where the water
had deposited the earth. They were
all OF tie faint hue, owing 10 the
plie light they received, although o.
every shade, and entirely different
freill plants that vegeLale upon dry
land. One in particular attracted
my attention; 1t resa1ahled q sea fan
of Immense size, 81 variegased eesors,
and the most brilliant hue. Tho tsll
which inhabit tl1ese silver Banks
{ foudd as different IN kind 81 the
scenery was varied. They were Of
ali forms, colors and size -lrOIn the
symmetrical globy like s1ntlsh
from the dallesg hue 20 tho ehangable
dolphin from the spots OF the Loop
ard to the hue Of The sunbeam iro1n
the harmless luinnew TO the Nora-
cious shark. Some had heads like
squirrels, otheEs like cats and dogs !;
some of snan size resesnbIed the buii
terrier. same darted through the
water Like I8eteOrs, while others
could scarcely be segu 70 move. 70
enulnerate and explain all the varl-
ious kinds Of fish / beheld while div
ing in those banks would, were
enough OF naturalist 80 10 do, re-
qaiTc moro than my limits allow, for
/ am convinced that most OF the
kinds OF fish which inhabit the tropi-
tfal seas can be found there. The sun
fs1, star fish, white shark and blue
Oh shovel nose shark were often seen.
There were also fish which resemb bic
plants, aud remained as fixed In
their pos don as shrub; the only
power they possessed WIS to open
and shut when in danger. Sone r
sembled the rose when in FIJI bloom
and wero Of all hue7. There were
robDin fish, from four 10 fta incliea
10 three feet iii length their eyes
are vary Largo and pTntrIde ike
those of q frog. Another FISH is si55la-
ted like u leopard, from three TO ten
ice. ia leazta. IEeS builti TIT L
.their houses like beavers, IN wIiefl
they spawn, and the male aul f.
male watches the egg until il isatch-
es, saw many specimens q the
green turtle, some i've Ret ios3r,
which [ should think would w@ign
fi,l.r OF five hundred pounds"