152 EARL DE GREY'S ADDRESS. [May 28, 18(30. 



baptism, Mahanaim, Peniel, the forest of Ephraim, Pisgah, &c., in 

 the mountains east of the Jordan. 



The above instances suffice to show the character of the informa- 

 tion sought. 



If, then, those who take an interest in the Holy Land, and are 

 willing to aid in the above proposal, will be so good as to transmit 

 to the Hydrographer of the Admiralty the precise points which 

 they consider require investigation (with a reference to the works 

 in which the respective subjects have already been best discussed), 

 I am authorised by him to state that the questions will be printed, 

 sent to the surveyors on the coast, and circulated as widely as 

 possible in the Levant, with the hope of obtaining useful answers. 

 ^^ Deep-Sea Soundings. — Before quitting the coasts of Europe, I must 

 refer to the valuable line of deep-water soundings made by Com- 

 mander Dayman in the summer of last year, from the entrance of 

 the Channel across the Bay of Biscay, along the coasts of Spain and 

 Portugal, and through the Strait of Gibraltar and the Mediter- 

 ranean Sea to Malta. In crossing the Bay of Biscay on this line 

 the descent from what may be termed the British Isles bank to 

 deep water is very rapid, six times more so than off Yalentia. 

 Within 30 miles of the 100-fathoms' edge a depth of 1900 fathoms 

 was obtained, and the greatest depth reached was 2625 fathoms. 

 In the Strait of Gibraltar the soundings generally confirmed those 

 obtained by the French survey of the Strait before alluded to, and 

 the greatest depth was 510 fathoms; but a remarkable shoal spot 

 of 45 fathoms was found about 8 miles n.n.w. of Cape Spartel in 

 Marocco, nearly in a line joining that Cape with the coast of Spain 

 at Cape Trafalgar— a feature in this part of the ocean, we believe, 

 hitherto unknown. In the Mediterranean the depth in no part 

 exceeded 1700 fathoms ; and near Cape Bon, between Sardinia and 

 Malta, deeper water was found than has yet appeared in any chart 

 of that region. Physical geographers cannot but feel gratified that 

 the requirements of submarine electric telegraphy conduce so much 

 towards a better acquaintance with the bed of the ocean, of which 

 we are still so ignorant. 



Nor should I omit some notice of an expedition which is about 

 to be despatched, to carry a line of deep-sea soundings from 

 Scotland to the Faroe Isles, thence to Iceland, Greenland, and 

 Labrador, with the hope of finding a route for the North Atlantic 

 telegraph cable, where the relays shall not exceed 600 miles in 

 length. The expedition wjll be coinmanded by our Medallist, 



