Note 14 — Chapter IV · Ocean Phenomena, Unknown to Columbus and His Crew, Increase the Fear of the Latter

The Sea of Sargasso is so named for the sea-weed, Sargassum bacciferum, which covers it. It is situated in the North Atlantic Ocean and is similar in shape to an egg, the large end being toward Florida. It reaches from longitude 70 to longitude 40, being about 600 miles southwest of the Azores. Its width lies between latitude 20 and latitude 35. The Bermuda Islands are the only body of land within its area, they being near its northwest edge. It is estimated to be about 130,000 square miles in extent.