The daily morning journal and courier., 1907-05-23
SAIL ROCK.
4 Strange Freak of Nature in the Pa-
 cific on Which Sailors Base Jokes.


 To persons on the Pacific ocean the | sighting of another vessel is of great CT interest than the same occurrence on the endless waters of the Pacific. There is one place, however, where the look out will always announce ship. He knows betters, but he must have 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 it's sail, l they cry.
 It happens that they are approaching the little group of the Wallis Islands, but the land can scarcely be dlscerned, even when the ship is only six or sev- en miles away. Every field glass on board is brought to bear on the vessel. and a strange thing about it suddenly becomes a subject of animated discus sion.
 It doesn't seem to be moving, and yet that glistening white sail is puffed out by the wind. Why, 1t can actual ly 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 1t is adjudged to be rather small craft. As the dis tance lessens it's bow seems to be rath- CT blunt. It certainly is not moving, and yet the wind fills that sail.
 The awakening is sudden. The H. fusion is dispelled ill @ moment at the proper distance. It Is seen to be noth- 1 ing more or less than huge block of madreporic coral which has resisted tho assaults of the sea and towers into the air
 i When seen near at hand the travel CT only remarks it's strange position, alone in the waste of waters. Its 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 distance bears a striking resem- blance to a bark whose sail is filled by a stern breeze. The slender growth of trees at the top have the exact ap- pearance, when seen from afar, of a mast. Nothing more Is needed to conl- 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 a good purpose, for it Is in front of the mar row opening in the reef through which vessels must pass, and so points out the place.
 Another fact that serves to keep ur 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 pilot comes out to take the vessel in. While the passengers are gazing and speculating some bright person of course suggests that this is the pilot boat coming out, and every body adopts the idea as explaining the true mission of the strange craft. They are not aware that, among those sleepy islands, nobody is on the lookout for ships, which call only at intervals, and the pilot usually has to be summoned by the oom of the ships cannon
 But the lookout has his joke, and life Is enlivened for days by the memory of the great excitement over a bit of Pa l cifie coral