Sargasso Sea

Sargasso in Spanish means sea-weed, and the sea-weed seas are found in both the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. In the Atlantic the confine of the Sargasso Sea may be roughly stated as between the 20th and 70th meridians, extending in latitude about 5 deg. on either side of the Tropic of Cancer. In the Pacific this sea is confined between the meridians of 140 deg. and 175 deg. west, and extends from the Tropic of Cancer to 40 deg. north. In certain parts of the Sargasso Sea this floating weed is so thick that it requires a good breeze of wind to force a sailing vessel through it.