The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1899-01-04
A LONELY ISLAND.
IT IS a BRITISH POSSESSION IN TIE
ATLANTIC OCEAN

known a ROckall, and No Human Be
ing BIAS Ever Landed Upon It-PFob-
ably tho Canse of Many Disastsrs-Iooks
Like n Ship Under Fun Sail.
Perhaps the loneliest island in the
Atlantic Ocean is a British possession
known on the map as Rockall. Where
is il? ROckall is a lonely pyramidal
rock, some 20 feet in height and $50
feet in circumference, rising sheer out
Df the wild Atlantic waves, about 1874
miles west-halt-south from St Kilda,
in the outer EIebrdes, 300 miles from
the nearest point OF the Scottish main
land and $50 miles northwest from the
nearest point on the Irish coast
More exactly, its poston-at least.
DIS nearly as this has been ascertained
IS latitude 81 deg. 80 min. north.
longitude l. deg ~ min. west There
is neither soil upon it nor sandy beach
round ii, the depth of water close up
10 ii being twenty or thirty fathoms.
rock. therefore ii must be called
rather than an island, or even an islet;
and, OF all the rocks and islands, great
and small. surrounding our shores it
is at once the most remote, the most
desolate. the least known. and in many
respects the most remarkable
Not only has 1t never boosted hui
man lnhabitant, but no holiday tripper
or sportsman has ever set foot on Its
shores, and only Oh one or two occa-
slons is II even known to have beer
landed upon. Only in the finest wealth
er is il possible to land upon 1t; in
Winter the ocean waves far overtop
its summit. This summit can only be
reached, even when landing has been
erected, by an ascent on the north
eastern face of the rock, SO preclpitous
are its other sides
Close TO the man rock. and with
deep water between them, lies dan
gerous reef exposed at low tide, known
as Lakewood Rock: while a mile and
a half southeast lies another similar
rock known as Helen's Reef, from
vessel OF that name whose wreck upon
IL first made II known.
To the mariner Rockall presents it.
self as serious danger. Neither the
main rock nor the surrounding reef
has even been either lighted. belled or
buoyed. Yet. though not in the main
line of Atlantic 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
It is probable that they are partly ac-
10 - 1tgannnar-
ances of well-found vessels which are
reported annually from the Atlantic
Even In broad daylight the main rock
Is a menace. for. with its steep. tall |
sides, and Its pointed top. always whit
ened by the deposits OF sea birds. 1t Is
invariably at first sight taken for a
ship In full sail
Mr. J. A. HarvieB Brown. an eminent |
Scottish naturalist Mr.. r. NJ. Bar
rington. leading Irish naturalist, and |
two other gentlemen, undertook not |
long ago a scientific expedition to |
Rockall. under the auspices OF the |
Royal Irish Academy. Twice was the
rock approached. but on each oeea-
sion the swell around it rendered a
landing impossible. and the expedition /
had at last TO return. baked OF Its |
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.
Ornithologists have long awaited
with keenest interest information re-
lating 10 the bird population of the
rock, and have imagined it a 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-
cies breeds upon 1t except the common |
euillemot
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 |
nraliats