omewhat farther from the Bahama
Islands, and are thus rather more favourably placed for receiving
immigrants from America and its islands than the Azores are with respect to
Europe. There are about 100 islands and islets in all, but their total area
does not exceed fifty square miles. They are surrounded by reefs, some at a
distance of thirty miles from the main group; and the discovery of a layer
of earth with remains of cedar-trees forty-eight feet below the present
high-water mark shows that the islands have once been more extensive and
probably included the whole area now occupied by shoals and reefs.[54]
Immediately beyond these reefs, {263} however, extends a very deep ocean,
while about 450 miles distant in a south-east direction, the deepest part
of the North Atlantic is reached, where soundings of 3,825 and 3,875
fathoms have been obtained. It is clear therefore that these islands are
typically oceanic.

[Illustration: MAP OF BERMUDA AND THE AMERICAN COAST.]

NOTE.--The light tint indicates sea less than 1,000 fathoms deep.
The dark tint ,, ,, more than 1,000 fathoms deep.
The figures show the depth in fathoms.

Soundings were taken by the _Challenger_ in four {264} different directions
around Bermuda, and always showed a rapid deepening of the sea to about
2,500 fathoms. This was so remarkable, that in his reports to the
Admiralty, Captain Nares spoke of Bermuda as "a solitary peak rising
abruptly from a base only 120 miles in diameter;" and in another place as
"an isolated peak rising abruptly from a very small base." These
expressions show that Bermuda is looked upon as a typical example of an
"oceanic peak"; and on examining the series of official reports of the
_Challenger_ soundings, I can find no similar case, although some coasts,
both of continents and islands, descend more abruptly. In order to show,
therefore, what is the real character of this peak, I have drawn a section
of it on a true scale from the soundings taken in a north and south
direction where the descent is steepest. It will be seen that the slope is
on both sides very easy, being 1 in 16 on the south, and 1 in 19 on the
north. The portion nearest the islands will slope more rapidly, perhaps
reaching in places 1 in 10; but even this is not steeper than many country
roads in hilly countries, while the remainder would be a hardly perceptible
slope. Although generally very low, some parts of these islands rise