468 EMERSON— RECURRENT TETRAHEDRAL DEFORMATIONS. 



along the east border of the other continents, would be the base line 

 of this yield tract as far as Somaliland and the tract would run 

 northwest to meet the fulcrum between the Atlas Mountains and 

 Asia Minor and its northern meridional part would include Europe 

 and have on its right a diminished ocean in the depressed Aralo- 

 Caspian Basin, and unlike the others, a northeast band across Arabia 

 naturally separating this small ocean from the Indian Ocean. In 

 this case each " yield tract " has a Mediterranean in its center and 

 Italy in the center of the one trends closely parallel with Cuba and 

 Sumatra in the center of the others. 



We may further notice that the elevated fissure tracts that are 

 thus built up are coincident with the tetrahedral elements of the 

 earth's framework. We may welcome any new light on this dark 

 subject and feel sure that the rotational and tetrahedral theories are 

 supplementary and not antagonistic, the latter would seem however 

 to be the preponderant and precedent influence since it would tend 

 to make the two poles as unlike as possible, as is the case: while 

 the rotational hypothesis acting on a reasonably homogeneous earth 

 would make the poles essentially similar and symmetrical, as is not 

 the case. The tetrahedral hypothesis would demand continents 

 widening to a maximum where they surround the polar ocean, as 

 is the case. The rotational theory would demand three northern 

 continents tapering northwardly into points directed toward the 

 corners of an arctic continent at the north pole, which is not the 

 case. The tetrahedral hypothesis centers on the common explanation 

 of the 4 great coigns. The other has two explanations for them : 

 one for the south polar continent, another for the other three, placing 

 them where the supposed causative forces are at their zero point. 

 The drawing of six circular oceans leaves much to be desired and 

 one superfluous ocean surrounds the north pole. 



A great elliptical ocean is drawn covering quite closely the pres- 

 ent seat of war and with a major axis on the Berlin-Bagdad Rail- 

 road. An ultra-pacifist would readily see the desirableness of sub- 

 merging this region, at least temporarily. 



We may go further and say that if the five great depressions 

 were originally made in part at least by the tetrahedral deformation 

 they would have located the five great gyrals or " permanent highs " 



