HIS PHYSICAL GEOGRAPHY OF THE SEA 69 



ley. The book ran to as many as nineteen editions in 

 England, where it bore the somewhat fuller title of 

 "Physical Geography of the Sea and Its Meteorology". 

 It has been translated into Dutch, German, French, 

 Italian, Spanish, and Norwegian, and has been used as 

 a textbook in several naval schools on the Continent. 



As to the contents and general scope of his book, 

 Maury wrote in the introduction, ''Under this term will 

 be included a philosophical account of the winds and 

 currents of the sea; of the circulation of the atmosphere 

 and ocean; of the temperature and depth of the sea; of 

 the wonders that are hidden in its depths; and of the 

 phenomena that display themselves at its surface. In 

 short, I shall treat of the economy of the sea and its 

 adaptations— of its salts, its waters, its climates, and its 

 inhabitants, and of whatever there may be of general 

 interest in its commercial uses or industrial pursuits, 

 for all such things pertain to its Physical Geography". 

 It contained also a number of illustrative plates, among 

 which was the first bathymetric map ever made of the 

 North Atlantic Ocean, with contour-lines drawn in at 

 1000, 2000, 3000, and 4000 fathoms. 



Some idea of the nature of the book and of Maury's 

 peculiar style can be best secured by the consideration 

 of some selections taken from it here and there. Those 

 quoted below are, of course, of the nature of "purple 

 patches", for it must not be supposed that there are no 

 dry and uninteresting passages in the book; but they are 

 fairly representative and will probably serve the purpose 

 intended. Maury was the first scientist to make a care- 

 ful study of the Gulf Stream, and the first chapter of his 

 "Physical Geography of the Sea" is devoted to this 

 mighty ocean current. The reader's interest is gained 



