2 THE WORLD OF THE SEA. 
what otherwise would be stagnant pools, cleansing the river es- 
tuaries, and carrying food and salubrity to the fixed inhabitants 
of the ocean bed. 
The Indian Ocean is enclosed by Asia on the north, by Africa 
on the west, and on the east by Malacca, the East Indian Islands, 
and Australia. 
The Pacific is the great ocean; with the exception of the 
A CALM SEA. 
e e 
Antarctic, it claims all the rest of the waters. It offers many 
peculiar and striking contrasts to its neighbour the Atlantic. The 
one has its greatest dimensions from east to west, the other from 
north to south. The currents in the Pacific are broad and slow, 
while those in the Atlantic are narrow and swift. In the one 
the tidal wave rises to an all but inappreciable height, in the other 
it heaves the whole breast of the waters, and dashes against the 
obstructing shores with wondrous force. And lastly, the Pacific, 
as its name would denote, is calm and tranquil, while the Atlantic 
is treacherous and stormy. 
Referring again to the distribution of land and water on the 
