From Torres Strait to Hong-kong. 105 



by a plateau about 600 miles broad and less than 50 fathoms 

 below the sea-surface, which extends along the parallel of lat. 

 to c S. This plateau is separated from the Ki Islands, Timor 

 Laut, and Timor by a channel varying from 1000 to 2000 fathoms 

 in depth, which commences in the Indian Ocean, and passes close 

 to the eastern shores of these islands. After separating Great Ki 

 Island from the Arrou group, this channel bends round towards 

 the west, flows between Ceram in the south, Mysole and Obi 

 Major in the north, then, turning due north, it continues between 

 Celebes and Gillolo under the name of the Molucca Passage, 

 and enters the North Pacific near the Tulur Islands. The 

 " Challenger " sounded in 1200 fathoms in the Molucca Pas- 

 sage, and in 800 and 580 fathoms on each side of the channel 

 between Great Ki Island and Dobbo, Arrou Islands (Stations 

 191 and 191a). The " Gazelle " found 1720 and 995 fathoms 

 north of Ceram. Older soundings mark depths of 1 700 fathoms 

 and 1070 fathoms off Timor. 



This channel establishes what seems to be the only deep- 

 sea communication between the Indian Ocean and the North 

 Pacific, and has all the appearance of a " fault " on a gigantic 

 scale (it is about 1500 miles long, and assumes the shape of S)> 

 separating the Papua- Australian plateau from the plateau 

 of the Indian Archipelago. It is probably swept by powerful 

 currents, and may have some connection with the remarkable 

 contrast which the naturalist discovers between the fauna and 

 flora of the regions east and west of it. 



The Banda Sea. — The soundings of the " Gazelle " and 

 "Challenger" of 2320 fathoms and 2800 fathoms show that this 

 sea, notwithstanding its restricted area, covers a depression of 

 considerable depth. The temperature of the water was 

 found to decrease from 2 8°. 6 C. at the surface to io° C. at 

 200 fathoms, to 4 C. at 600 fathoms, and to 3° C. at 900 fathoms, 

 from which depth it remained stationary down to the bottom in 



H 



