Page:Journal of the Royal Geographical Society of London, Volume 1 (2nd edition).djvu/68

52 an observation that day at noon we made its latitude exactly 55°. The wind was blowing a brisk gale at W.N.W., and the vessel going at the rate of seven knots. When we lost sight of the rock, which was in twenty minutes, it bore N.W. by W. about two miles and a half.'

Thirdly.—The ship Nestor of Greenock, returning from New York in 1793, being in latitude 55° 19′ N., and longitude, per account, 9° 53′ W. of London, the officers, passengers, and ship's company who were then on deck, perceived a rock about four feet below the surface of the water, and not five fathoms from the weather-beam of the ship. It was in the form of a horseshoe, with one side longer than the other. The mate instantly threw an empty barrel overboard. The yawl was got out as soon as possible, and the mate, four of the crew, and two passengers, went in the boat, and were absent nearly two hours in search of the rock; but owing to the ship's drift, and a dark cloud which then obscured the atmosphere, they could neither find rock nor barrel. The Rev. Mr. Stewart was then a passenger in the Nestor, and saw the rock plainly, with the tangle growing on it.'

Fourthly.—In the Greenock Advertiser was given an extract from a letter of Mr. Hugh Faulknor, master of the ship Mary of London, stating that, on his passage from Seville to Bergen in Norway, he perceived close by him the appearance of a rock to leeward, and, from light winds, had some difficulty in weathering it. When past it, he hoisted out his boat, put some hands into her, with a deep-sea lead and line; and it being then calm, sounded all round it. At the distance of four fathoms from it, he had from thirty-five to forty feet, and at thirty fathoms' distance, no bottom, with a hundred and fifty fathoms. It was of a pyramidal form, nowise rugged, but perfectly smooth as far as could be seen below water, and not exceeding four or five feet round at the top, then appearing like a boat three or four feet above water. He had at the same time a good observation close by the said rock, and proved it to be in latitude 55° 15′ N., and longitude 11° 40′ W. From the landfall made (being the north of Lewis) exactly corresponding with his reckoning, he has no doubt but his longitude given is correct. Mr. Faulknor adds—'In 1772 I sailed with Captain Hugh Moody, and heard him say, that in 1770 or 71, in the brig Nancy of Greenock, he fell in with Aitkins' Rock, and went with a boat and sounded it. At the distance of a boat's length, had from thirty to forty fathoms; that it was small above, and rather below the level of the sea, as near as he could judge from the water washing over it.'

Fifthly.—An extract from the log-book of the True Briton, James Reid, master, informs us, that on Wednesday, 27th September,