The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1883-12-15
The sargasso Sea.


There is sea in the middle of the ocean!
Astonishing as the statement sounds, it is
literally true. The limits of the sea are as
well defined as those of any other known
collection of water; its characteristics are so
special that no one can mistake them.
When Columbus, on his first voyage
had got some distance to the westward of
the Canary Islands, he was amazed one
morning to find his ships in an undulating
meadow. As far as he could see, the water
was covered with greenish-yellow plant,
which appropriated the surface of the sea
as thoroughly and effectually as water-hlies
cover pond. The wind was light but
steady; there were not any birds to indicate
the proximity of land, neither was there
any apparent cause for such collection of
weed. The sailors, already scared by the
persistence of the wind from one quarter
they had got into the tradewinds-
upon the weed before them, behind them,
and on either side of them, as infallible
proof of their imminent destruction. The
Almighty, they said, was angry at their
impious attempts to pry into His secrets in
the west, and had given them over to the
devil, who was causing wind to blow that
would forever prevent their return to Spain,
and now had brought them into snare
such as sailors most dread-shallows ex-
tending too far beyond the land to allow
of ships or men being saved. The com
mander could not explain the sight he
saw, and might have thought with his men
that the weed was the cast-of clothing of
some dangerous rocks which lay short
distance down, ready to tear and rend them
The deep sea lead-line was hove, but no
bottom was found The ships kept on their
westerly course, still sounding ard still
getting no bottom, till, in few days they
drew clear of weed and came where the
broad ocean was all around them again, un-
encumbered by aught but the ships of the
explorers.
Ever since the day Columbus saw the
weed, and probably for thousands Of years
before he saw it, the Sargasso Sea-such is
the name of the weedy sea-has existed.
Its boundaries may be indicated by tracing
triangle, of which the three corners are
represented by the Azores, the Canaries,
and Cape de Verde. Within those limits
the sea is still bottomless, and is clothed on
its surface with a garment of vegetable
material, so thick as to retard the progress
of vessels sailing through it, Steamers
avoid it when they can do so, because of
the fouling of their screws and paddles by
the weed; but sailing vessels outward bound
to the West Indies, South America, the
Cape, etc., must needs pass through it.
Sometimes a great storm, proceeding from
some point outside the charmed triangle,
causes its effects to be felt within the trian-
gle, and scatters the weed more or less out
of bounds But usually there is placid
condition of things in the Sargasso Sea;
the wind is light, the sky is clear, the water
never RACES, and, unless such storm as
has been mentioned should disturb the
wonted calmness of the sea, the surface,
over several degrees of latitude and longi-
tude, is covered, as in the day when Co
lumbus saw it, with the weed Sargassum,
which springs from an apparently inexhaus-
tible source.