The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1894-06-23
NEITHER SEA NOR LAND.
The Wonderful Region I'm the Atlantic
which No Man Has Penetrated.
From Chambers, Journal.

The surface of it seems, says the writer,
like perfect meadow of seaweed. 1t is
supposed that this enormous mass of gulf
weed may have been partly grown at the
bottom of the shallower parts of the sea,
and partly torn fron the shores of Florida
and the Bahama Islands by the force of
the Gulf Stream. 1t is then swept round
by the same agency into the Sargasso Sea,
where it lives and propagates, floating
freely in mid-ocean. And the store is
ever increasing, both by addition and
propagation, so that the meadow grows
more and more compact, and no doubt at
the inner parts extends to considerable
depth below the surface.
Nor is this all; for at least two-thirds Of
all the infinite fotsam and jetsam which
the Gulf Stream carries along with it in
its course sooner or later finds resting
place in the Sargasso Sea. Here may be
seen huge trunks of trees torn from the
forests of Brazil by the waters of the
Amazon and foated down far out to sea
until they were caught and swept along by
the current; logwood from Honduras,
orange trees from Florida, canoes and
boats from the island, STAYED in, broken,
and bottom upward; wrecks and remains Of
all sorts, gathered from the rich harvest of
the Atlantic; whole keels or skeletons of
ruined ships, so covered with barnacles,
shells, and weed that the original outline
is entirely lost to view; and here and there
derelict ship transformed from floating
terror of the deep into a mystery put out
of reach of man in a museum of unex-
planned enigmas.
1t is only natural that ships should care
fully avoid this marine rubbish heap,
where the Atlantic shoots its refuse. 1t
seems doubtful whether a sailing vessel
would be able to cut her way into the thick
network of weed even with strong wind
behind her. Besides, if the effort were
rewarded with first delusive success,
there would be the almost certain danger
that in the calm regions of the Sargasso
Sea the wind would suddenly fail her
altogether, leaving her locked hopelessly
amid the weed and the drift and wreckage,
without hope of succor or escape. With
regard to steamer, no prudent skipper is
ever likely to make the attempt, for it
would certainly not be long before the
tangling weed would altogether choke up
his screw and render it useless.
The most energetic explorer of land or
sea will find himself baffled with regard to
the Sargasso Sea by the fact that it is
neither one nor the other 1t is neither
solid enough to walk upon, nor liquid
enough to afford a passage to boat. At
the same time any one who fell into it
would certainly be drowned without being
able to swim for his life. OF course, it is
quite conceivable that very determined
party of pioneers might cut a passage for
a small boat even to the centre. The
work would take an immense time, how
ever, and the channel would certainly close
up behind them as they proceeded. They
would have to take with them provisions
for the whole voyage, and a journey over
a space equalling the Continent of Europe
would probably require larger supplies
than could be conveniently slowed away in
a small boat. Besides, there is no reason
to suppose that the expedition would be
worm the nahinS, Ut Ihab the Anner re-
cesses of the Sargasso Sea would exhibit
any marked differences from the outer
margin. The accumulation of weed would
be thicker and more entangled, and the
drift and wreckage would lie more closely
pressed together, but that would be all.
There is no possibility of the existence of
any but marine life in this strange morass,
unless the sea birds have built their nests
in the masts or hull of some derelict vessel