Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1907-07-17
LOOKS LIKE A SHIP.
Strange Freak of Nature in the Ia
cific on Which Sailors Base Jokes.

Strange Freak of Nature in the IA
cific on Which Sailors Base Jokes
To persons on the Pacific ocean the
sighting of another vessel is of greater
interest than the same occurrence on
the Atlantic, for ships are not 50 COM
mon on the endless waters OF the IA
cific. There is one place, however,
where the lookout will always an
nounce a ship, says the New York SUM-
He knows better, but he must nave
his Joke. and it never fails. He gives
the familiar call and the passengers
crowd forward and strain their eyes.
Away off they dimly see a ship.
Every minute it's outlines come more
clearly into view. Why, it is bearing
straight down on us and the faithful
Pacific trade wind is bellying its sail,
they cry.
1t happens that they are approach
ing the little group Of the Wallis ISL
ands, but the land can scarcely be dis
cerned, even when the ship Is only six
or seven miles away. Every field glass
on board is brought to bear on the YES
sci and a strange thing about it sud
denly becomes a subject of animated
discussion.
1t doesn't seem to be moving, and
yet that glittering white sail is puffed
out by the wind. Why, it can actually
be seen to swell under the effort of the
gentle trades. Questions are fired at
the captain and the lookout, but they
are silent.
BY unanimous vote it is adjudged to
be a rather small craft. AS the dis
lance lessons it's bow seems to be rath-
er blunt. 1t certainly is not moving,
and yet the wind fills that sail.
The awakening is sudden. The illu-
sion is dispelled in a moment at the
proper distance. 1t is seen to be moth
ing more or less than a huge block OF
madrepOric coral which has resisted
the assaults of the sea and towers into
the air.
When seen near at hand the travel
er only remarks its strange position,
alone in the waste of waters. It's base
has been worn away by the waves on
all sides so that it Is rounded. but
above the rock spreads out wide and
at a distance bears striking resem-
blance to bark whose sail is filled by
q stern breeze. The slender growth
Of trees at the top have the exact ap-
pearance, when seen from afar, Of a
ic RI
plete the illusion. The resemblance
to a vessel never fails to deceive every
body who sees the rock for the first
time.
It was named Sail Rock by the ear
Hest seafarers. The nautical instruc-
tions supplied to Pacific mariners make
note of the resemblance to a ship. They
also speak Of the rock as serving
good purpose, for it is ip front OF the
narrow opening in the reef through
which vessels must pass, and so points
out the place.
Another fact that serves to keep up
the illusion to the last moment is, as
all the passengers are told, that the
opening In the reef is rather difficult
to enter and a pilot comes out to take
the vessel In. While the passengers are
gazing and specializing some bright per-
son Of course suggests that this is the
pilot boat coming out, and everybody
adopts the idea as explaining the true
mission of the strange craft They are
not aware that, among those sleepy Isl
ands, nobody is on the lookout for
Ships which call only at intervals, and
the pilot usually has to be summoned
by the boom of the ships cannon.
But the lookout has his joke, and life
is enlivened for days by the memory of
the excitement over bit Of Pacific
coral.
Above the Mind.