The New York herald., 1877-09-18
The New Shoal In the South
Atlantic.
FLY BANK DEVOID OF ROCKS
Correction Of Previous Surveys
OF Hotspur Bank.
INFORMATION FOR MARINERS

commanding the United states steamer Adams, giving
the details of the surveys made 10 determine tno POSI-
lion of the Hotspur Bank, OF the coast OF braz the
examinations made regarding shoal reported py the
bark Professor Aver and the discovery OF shoa'
never before known This shoal, which Commander
Rodgers and Lieutenant Book, his navigating oicer'
desicnutc as "Unknown Bank. is about one hundred
and thirty TO llty miles oil Porto Seguro:--
coxxAyDRR RODGERS REPORT.
UNITED STATES STEAMSHIP ADAMS lranD KArEh
BAHIA Brazil, August 4, 1871
Commodore DANIEL ANaES. Chiei Of the Bureau OF
Nuvgaton:-
CALDWELL dated Juno %, 1877, to proceed to Bahia rs
soon as this vessel IN vii respects ready tor sea,
CALLED from Rio dc Janeiro ON the nth OF July.
continued under sail for eleven days trying
both the OF shore and the in shore routes. During
that tine we made no more than ABOUT sixty miles 70 INC
northwurd. Finding no nope OF favorable WIND ana
being within two days run oi Hotspur Bank, which
was to examine, raised stcam at half power.
uorsPUR BANK.
1 will bore state that an ordor from tho Navy De-
partlncnt dated April d. 1877, says:-"Wben IN the
vicinity ol latitude II deg % min south, and lonci-
tudc SO 10 min west tho position given OF Hot
spur Bank, you will take soundings sufficient to deter
mine it's extent anu character. The position OF Hot
spur Bank Is realty, about fifty miles 10 the south
OF the position above givcn and Is so placed
the charts | arrived on the Hotspur Bank the
Goth OF uy, aud proceeded to make thorough exam
ination OF It's extent and depth Note IA chart ac-
eomnnned the report showing the outlines OF tho
bank the lines the location OF each cast of the
lead and the depth found at each cast The weather
was favorable and beiieve our positions 10 nave
been correct; our courses stccrcd were such as to
give only the extent OF the bank, but lis general
Ehape
THE souNpiSGs DID NOT AGREE
with those the chart which wore generally some
what less The depth OF water was found 10
be remarkably uniform, generally about thlrythree
fa,homs and ranging IRON thirty to forty.eght faith
ons the edge when the depth Increased
abruptly to over ono hundred iahoms. The bank was
found to be twenty miles vide from cast TO west in
stead OF ten given by the chart aud IN the saing
directions and II was found to extend tweive miles
lurther eastward aud not lar 10 tho westward
by two miles
THE BOTTOM
invariably OF coral and sometimes mixed with
shells In sponge was brought up attached
to piece of coral The photographic Office chart
No 80 which 10 the latest we have, has upon tho
southwest corner OF the hospur Bank, rect marked
Morgan's Keot We could find no bottom at 100
fathoms In the position gwen for this reef which IS
noted having three iathoms and believe that there
Is than 25 fathoms at any place on the bank,
although tho least water found was 81 fathons
Tho limits Of the Hotspur Bank between atitudos
IL dcs. 50 min south and is deg W min south, on2
tudes 50 deg. ~ min and 80 dcg. 05 min. west
''PRoFEssoR AVER" BANK.
The position given OF lotspur Bank in the depart
nent's letter OF April is really as far as Gun learn,
the place where the British bark Professor Aver Captain
Morgan reported 10 have struck 1t agrees very
nearly with the position given me by the Brazilian
aud tor which Brazilian vessel made q thorough
Search could lind nothing OF tho kind This posi-
Hotspur Bank, but little to the south
ward OF Fly Bank. Considering that II was properly
under my instructions TO examine this position also
proceeded and arrived upon II at August and
got no 100 athons of line directly over it.
There not being line enough on board 10 take thou
sand ia,hom cast then cruiscd in the vicinity taxing
frequent casts o! the lcad out got no bottom at any
time with 100 iathoms OF line. Tho examination Of
Hotspur Bank had necessitated the OF quite large
part OF the coal on board, so that could not make
Tor the Professor Aver shoal extended
wished MoreoverI desired to make examination
AN UNKNOWN BANK
discovered by this vessel on her way up, tho posi-.
tion and exteut oil which Is given IN the pany
ing chart. This bank unknown, so far as am in
formed, and consider IL discovery OF some i'm
portnucc ma IL IA quite large and has le MS twenty
fhf fat Frr n =
made complete examination Of 1t on tho I'd of
August, and believe the position given Is correct as
well general outline and extent The chart ind
:atcs over TWO hundred fathoms OF water in the
Vicinity. The extent OF the bank is fifteen miles in
length. in eastnorthcast directon aud ten miles
wide from north TO south Latitude OF the centre Of
The bank, II deg min. south; longitude OF tie
centre Is So deg, "a min. 80 sec west and the depth
OF wafer is generally about thirty athons aud very
uniform
do not believe the shoa reported by tho Captain oi
tho bark Professor Aver exists | could find bot
tom at over ono hundred fathoms. and observed
many merchant veascis sailing IN the vicinity. IL is
suggested by the Brazilian photographer that tho
Professor Aver grounded the Abrolbas Bank, the
lighthouse keeper Santa Barbara reported that
eel answering 10 her description TO be ashore
ior n short time within sight oi the lighthouse.
Very respectfully, your obedieni servant,
FRED RODGERS,
Commander Unitea States Navy, Commanding.
LIEUTENANT BooK's RKroRT.
Accompanying the report OF Commander Rodgers is
the following from Lieutenant George VI. Book, United
States Navy, navigating officer OF the Adams giving the
details of the courses stcered and the soundings
madc:-
Commander FRED. RoDGERs, mmand ng United
States steamer Adams:-
SIR have the honor to submit the following re.
port of survey OF Hotspur anu Unknown banks:-
From line oi bearing, ABOUT nine A. II. July 80,
changed west Tor nine miles, TO ruu parallel
to limo OF bearing tor HOtspur Bank AT ten "A. NJ.
changed course 10 north by west one-haf west (per
com npassl and at eleven A. VI. got soundngs the
bank in thrty-hvc iathoms water, coral bottom, hav
ing between teu and eleven A, M got no bottom at
tisn nla va.V nj futn .-
seIvaton Is deg 90 miu. 20 SOUTH longitude OBJ
scrvatiou, 50 deg. 20 min. O3 sec. west.
After meridian position, steered general westerly
course (thc actual courses having been plotted
enlarged chart of tue baLk, with distunces) and
sounded 100 athoms and IN sixty iathoms with no
bottom, over the position oi tno three iathom rock
reported Hotspur Bank NO position IN the
vicinity or surroundings Indicated the presence of
sucn a danger winch Is believed not TO exist,
Oh soundngs To the eastward northward, north
westward and westward Of the rock, which Is sup
posed ~ be on the southwest extremity OF the bank
There &C rtainy such danger Alter running
two miles northward and westward OF the rock (y)
steered -uortheastcrly course on soundngs
varying IRON thirty ~ thirty eight fathoIns,
aud one at the end OF the line IN 100
fathoms With no bottom. The bottom on
the bank red coral, shells, and occasional
moss and spouge The length OF this ue wts twenty
three miles, or thirteen miles longer than corrc-
spending line Oi the chart furnished by the department.
Alter running this liuc, stcercd west (rue) and got
sonndngs IN from orty.nve lathoms at the eustern
aud 10 thlrty-three athoms uear the western end,
when we found no bottom at nily, sixty aud seventy
ave atboms, and consequently found no northwest cx
'cLson oi the bank as on the department chart Then
Utered easl-nOrthcastcriy and easl-southeast by
!lgzag lines oil souudngs AMI On souudngs, hnding
e later on our wtsterly line last run and indicating
us the northern line edge Vi the bank with iurty
I've athoms at the edge o the bank ANA then 10 bot
ON AZ 100 athoma
At eleven /. "a, July 30, got position by The star
iqulle Tor latitude IL deg 40 ~ sec south and
ongiiudo by the planet Mars 3j de-. 81 min west,
)osuon being almost identical with the plotted oae
>n The Chart at the samc instant. We then followed
hc gene al HE o the bank, runuing Oh souudtngs
ioo lathons, VITA no bottom, and Oh soundIngs, ana
"A u
exact latitude aud miles to the eastward III lougi.
tude VI meridian position Of July 3U-vlZ, July 81,
latitude ny plot ON char makng allowances Tor stop
pnses, &c IL deg mln 80 south, and Ion gitude
Dy thc same plot on chart (and making same allow
anccsl so ueg W min. 80 west latitude obseIva-
tioD IL deg 90 MN ~ Sec; longitude observation,
50 deg ~ min ~ sec west. Aner taking mcrIdiau
position stecrcd south two mllos and no bottom in
lUi tatnoms; then stocrcd west westerly scven-
;ccn mncs uutll oil soundines-lOO fathoms aud
no bottom-theh hortheastcry three miles. bottom
At 80 iathoins thcn east miles when We found
lotion ut 80 iathOins IN tue viciuny OF our fo mcr