Benjamin Moran to João de Andrade Corvo, December 5, 1876

Mr. Moran to Mr. Corvo.

Sir: For the information of His Most Faithful Majesty’s government, I beg to acquaint you that I have received a communication from Lieutenant-Commander H. H. Gorringe, commanding the United States steamship Gettysburg, dated at Gibraltar the 27th ultimo, in which he states that on his passage from Fayal to Gibraltar he discovered a submarine mountain 17,000 feet in height above the adjacent sea-bottom, the summit of which is capped with a coral bank, on which he anchored his ship in thirty-two fathoms during the night of November 17 and day of November 18, of 1876. The anchorage lies 130£ miles south, 75° west (true) from Cape St. Vincent, in latitude 36° 30′ north, longitude 11° 38′ west of Greenwich. Lieutenant-Commander Gorringe will soon return to search for dangerous depths, which he believes exist there. He adds to this interesting information that the coral is of delicate pink shades and doubtless of value.

Should your excellency deem it of sufficient interest to the public and to science and commerce to make this valuable discovery known, I shall be much gratified.

I avail myself of this opportunity to renew to your excellency the assurances of my highest consideration.