§ 330, CSI. CURRENTS OF THE SEA. Xgl 



bound to India from the United States, England, or Holland, may 

 often double the Cape of Good Hope before one sailing with a 

 like destination from a Mediterranean port would find herself 

 clear of the Straits of Gibraltar. It is therefore not surprising 

 that none of the great commercial marts of the present day are 

 found on the shores of this classic sea. The people who inhab- 

 it the hjdrographic basin of the Mediterranean — which includes 

 the finest parts of Europe — have, ever since the discovery of the 

 passage around the Cape of Good Hope, been commercially pent 

 up. A ship-canal across the Isthmus of Suez will let them, out 

 into the commercial world, and place them within a few days of 

 all the climates, wants, supplies, and productions of India. It will 

 add largely to their wealth and prosperity. As these are in- 

 creased, trading intercourse is enhanced, and so by virtue of this 

 canal they will become better customers for England and Holland, 

 and all other trading nations whose ports are havens of the At- 

 lantic. Occupying this stand-point in their system of commercial 

 economy, the people of the United States await with a lively in- 

 terest the completion of the Suez Canal. 



880. Of all parts of the ocean, the warmest water, the saltest and 

 Hydrometricaiobserv- the hcavicst too, is Said to bc fouud iu the seas of 

 atioDB at sea wanted. ^^^ indisLU Occau. A good scrics of obscrvatious 

 there with the hydrometer, at the different seasons of the year, is 

 a desideratum. Taking, however, such as we have upon the dens- 

 ity of the water in the Red Sea and the Mediterranean, and upon 

 the under currents that run out from these seas, let us examine 

 results. 



881. Several years ago, Mr. Morris, chief engineer of the Ori- 

 specific gravity of ©ntal Company's steam-ship Ajdaha, collected spec- 



Ked Sea water. ^^^^^ ^f ^^^ g^^ ^^^^^ ^|j ^^^ ^^^ ^^^^ g^^^ ^^ 



the Straits of Babelmandeb, which were afterward examined by 

 Dr. Giraud, who reported the following results :* 



Latitude. Longitude. Spec. Grav. Saline Cent, 

 o o 1000 parts. 



No. 1. Sea at Suez — — 1027 41.0 



No. 2. Gulf of Suez 27.49 33.44 102G 40.0 



No. 3. Red Sea 24.29 36. 1024 39.2 



No. 4. do. 20.55 38.18 1026 40.5 



No. 5. do. 20.43 40.03 1024 39.8 



No. 6. do. 14.35 42.43 1024 39.9 



No. 7. do. 12.39 44.45 1023 39.2 



♦ Transact, of the Bombay Gecgraph. See., vol. ix., May, 1849, to Auj^ust, 1850. 



