NECKAR ISLE

NECKAR ISLE, a small barren island, or rather rock, discovered by Perouse in the Pacific Ocean. Though its sterility renders it of no importance in itself, its exact situation must be interesting to navigators, who are therefore obliged to the French Commodore for having ascertained its latitude to be $23^\{\backslash circ\}\; 24\text{'}$ north, and its longitude to be $166^\{\backslash circ\}\; 52\text{'}$ west from Paris. From the soundings the Neckar seemed to be only the top or nucleus of a much more considerable island, which, probably from being composed of a soft and dissoluble substance, the sea had gradually washed away. In proportion as the frigates left the shore, the depth, which at the distance of a mile was very little, gradually increased, till, at the distance of about ten miles, no bottom was found with a line of 150 fathoms; and over the whole of that shore the bottom consisted of coral and broken shells.