Transcribe the verbal message into written format, please.
TO THE SURPRISE OF ALL AND ESPECIALLY OF LIEUTENANT PROCOPE THE LINE INDICATED A BOTTOM AT A NEARLY UNIFORM DEPTH OF FROM FOUR TO FIVE FATHOMS AND ALTHOUGH THE SOUNDING WAS PERSEVERED WITH CONTINUOUSLY FOR MORE THAN TWO HOURS OVER A CONSIDERABLE AREA THE DIFFERENCES OF LEVEL WERE INSIGNIFICANT NOT CORRESPONDING IN ANY DEGREE TO WHAT WOULD BE EXPECTED OVER THE SITE OF A CITY THAT HAD BEEN TERRACED LIKE THE SEATS OF AN AMPHITHEATER