Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1868-01-08
MisrelL
TIE OCEAN BOTTOM.

Mr. Green, the famous diver, tells singular sto-
ries of his adventures when making search in the
deep waters of the ocean. He gives some new
sketches of what he saw at the "Silver Bank, v
near iIayti 1.-THE banks Of coral which my
divngs were made about 40 miles in length and
from ten to twelve in breadth. On this bank of
coral is presented to the diver one Of the most
beautiful and sublime scenes the eve ever beheld
The water varies from ten to one hundred feet in
depth and so clear that the diver can from
two to three hundred feet when submerged, with
but little obstruction to the sight
The bottom of the ocean, in many places, 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 a myriad
of pyramidal pendants, each forming myriad
more, giving reality TO the imaginary abode of
some water-nymph. In other places the pendants
form arch after arch, and as the diver stands on
the bottom of the ocean, and gazes through in the
deep winding avenues, he finds that they fill him
with as sacred an awe as if he were in some old
cathedral which had long been buried beneath old
oceans wave Here and there the coral extends
even to the surface Of the water, If the oltier
columns were parts OF those stately temples that
are now in ruins.
There we're countless varieties of diminutive
trees, shrubs and plants in every crevice of the
eorals where water had deposited the earth, They
all Of faint hue owing to the pale light they
received, although of every shade, aud entirely
different from plants that am familiar with thai
vegetate upon dry land
One in particular attracted my attention il re
sembled sea-an OF immense size, of variegate(
colors and the most brilliant hue The FISH whcl
inhabit these "Silver Banks | found as different
in kind as the scenery was varied. They were o
all forms, colors and sizes-from the symmetrical
goby TO the globe-like sun fish, from The dulles
hue to the chsngeabe dolphin, from the spots o
the leopard to the hues Of the sunbeam, from tn,
harmless minnow TO the yoraeious shark
Some had heads like squirrels others like cat
and dogs and some of small size resembled tn,
bull-terrier. Some darted through the water lik,
meteors while others could scarcely be seen t,
move.
To enumerate and explain all the various kind
OF fish beheld while diving on these banks would
were | enough Of a naturalist SO to do, requir
than my limits allow for am conyince
that most of the kinds Of fish which inhabit th
tropical seas can be found there. The sun-fsh
star-hsh white shark and blue or shove-nost
shark were often seen.
There were also fish which resembled plants
and remained as fixed in their position as a shrub
the only power they possessed was to open anC
shut when in danger. Some Of them resemblet
the rose when in iull bloom, and were Of all hues
There were the ribbon fish from four or five inch
as to three feet in length; their eyes are yer,
large and protrude like those Of frog.
Another fish is spotted like leopard, from
three to ten feet in length. They build their hou
SEES like beavers, in which they spawn. and tn,
male or female watches the egg until il matches
saw many specimens of the green turtle some
hve feet long, which | should think would weigh
from 400 10 800 pounds.