Pine Bluff daily graphic. (Pine Bluff, Ark.) 1893-1942, 1899-04-12
A LONELY ISLAND.
IT IS A BRITISH POSSESSION IN THE
ATLANTIC OCEAN.

Known as Rockan, and No Human Be-
ing Has Ever Landed Upon It-Prob-
ably the Cause of Many Disasters-Looks
Like Ship Under Fun sail.
Perhaps the IoneIiest island in the
Atlantic Ocean is a British possession
known on the map as RoekalI. Where
is it? RockaIl is a lonely pyramidal
rock, some 70 feet in height and $50
feet in circumference, rising sheer out
Of the wild Atlantic waves, about 184
miles West-haIf-s0uth from St. Kf1da.
in the outer Hebrides, 290 miles from
the nearest point OF the Scottish MAIN
land and ESQ miles northwest from the
nearest point on the Irish coast.
More exactly, its position-at least.
as nearly as this has been ascertained
is latitude 81 deg. 80 min. north,
longitude - deg. 4 min. west. There
is neither soil upon 1t nor sandy beach
round it, the depth Of water close up
to it being twenty or thirty fathoms.
A rock. therefore It must be called
rather than an island, or even an islet;
and, OF all the rocks and islands. great
and small, surrounding cur shores It
is at once the most remote, the most
desolate, the least known. and il many
respects the most remarkable.
Not only has it never boosted a hui
man inha5itant, but no holiday tripper
Or sportsman has ever set foot on its
shores, and only on one or two oeea-
sions is It even known to have been
landed upon. Only in the finest wealth
er IS i possible to land upon II; in
Winter the ocean waves far oYertop
its summit. This summit can only be
reached, even when 4 landing has been
effected, by an ascent On the north
eastern face of the rock, So preeipltous
are its other sides.
Close 70 The main rock. and with
deep water between them. lies q dan
geFous reef, exposed aelo# tide, known
as Lakewood Rock: while a mile and
a half southeast Les another similar
rock known as Hsseass Reef. from a
vessel Of that name whose wreck upon
it first made it known.
To the mariner RoekaH presents it.
self as a serious danger Neither the
main rock uor=tHs surrounding reef
has even been either lighted, belIed or
buoyed. Yet, though not in=the main
line Of cross-AtIantic traffic. there can
be no doubt that they have frequently
proved fatal to vessels. There are
several actual records of wrecks upon
them, the earliest being in 1886 and
1t IS probable that they are partly ae-
countable for some of the disappear
ances of welI-found vessels which ara
reported annually from the Atlantic.
Even in broad daylight the main rock
is a menace. for. with its steep, tail
sides, and its pointed top, always whit
ened by the deposits Of sea birds, it is
invariably at first sight taken fer a
ship ia fail sail.
Mr.. J, A. Harvie-Brown, an eminent
Scottish naturalist; M r. NJ Bar
rington, leading Irish naturalist. and
two other gentlemen. undertook not
long ago a scientific expedition to
RocEa1l, under tne auspices of the
Royal Irish Academy. Twice was the
rock approached, hut on each coca
sion the swell around u rendered a
landing impossible. and the expedition
had al last to return, baked of It's
main object. Nevertheless it brought
back some very interesting results. OBJ
tanned chiefly by dredging On the bank
and by observing the birds flying
around the rock.
Ornitholoststs have long awaited
with keenest interest information re-
lating to the bird population of the
rock, and have imagined it possible
breeding place Of several interesting
sea birds. But the recent expedition,
during which no fewer than twenty
species were observed round the rock,
proved that in all probability no spe-
ctes breeds upon it except the common
guillemot.
In many other ways the rock Is Of
much scientific interest, and any
yachtsman or others who may hereaf-
ter be fortunate enough to effect a
landing upon Rockall will certainly
obtain results of much interest to nat.
nralists