THE ADEIATIC AND THE MEDITEEEANEAN. 11 



the south hy a submarine isthmus uniting the peninsula of Man- 

 fredonia, with the isolated rock of Pelagosa, and with the islands of 

 the Dalmatian eoast, Lagosta, Curzola, and Lesina. Beyond this 

 isthmus, and extending as far as the Straits of Otranto, is another 

 and mueh deeper hollow, towards the middle of which the soundings 

 indicate a depth of nearly 500 fathoms; and on the east rise the 

 precipices of Montenegro, the roots of which descend very rapidly 

 beneath the waters. Thus the soundings of the Adriatip confirm 

 the observations, made long ago by Dampier and many other navi- 

 gators, that the sea is generally deep at the base of abruptly sloping 

 mountains ; and, on the other hand, that there is but a slight depth 

 of water near low coasts. 



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Pig. 3 —Profile of the bed of the Adriatic. 



As to the Mediterranean properly so called, it is almost unknown, 

 except in those parts which have been explored for the laymg of tele- 

 graphic cables; however, on comparing with one another all the . 

 soundino-s, and the various tracks followed by those who have laid the 

 wires, we can at least form a general notion of its submarine surface 

 If the waters of the Mediterranean were suddenly lowered about liU 

 fathoms it would be divided into three distinct sheets of water : Italy 

 would be joined to Sicily, Sicily would be united by an isthmus to 

 Africa, the Dardanelles and the Bosphorus would be closed but the 

 outlet of Gibraltar would remain in free communication with the At- 

 lantic Ocean. If the level was lowered by about 550 fathoms the 

 ^gean, the Euxine, and the Adriatic would wholly disappear or only 

 leave in their beds unimportant pools ; the remainder of the Mediter 

 ranean would be divided into several seas like the Caspian, either 

 isolated, or communicating with each other by ii.=''^™^^'=^f/''^?\^; 3 

 the terminal promontory of Europe would be jomed by the isthmus 



