411 





SEA. 



413 



more attracted by the land than by the maw of the oceau 1 



iliin. therefore, U to draw up the water to a holier 

 D shores of the peninsula th.-in at its emit linn 

 r.t|>.- c.ur beside* this, the mountain mass of 



ami ilu- Himalaya [Punts] present* great excess of matter 

 north, above tliat of the Ian. I of ordinary height, and conse- 

 .. powerful attnetion, which is added to that of the 

 i HindusUn gen ii. up H"> sen to a greatci 



at the northern t the southern. 



Accordingly, It hM been found 1-y Ai\ liili-.tc.ni Pratt that tin- . ; 



sva level at Kuraclui-. en 'tin- n ith ,-i.K- .>!' tin- Arabian Sen, in 

 515 feet above that at (.'.|H- I'omoriii, and it must be about the same 

 at the nandhrad* of Calcutta, at the north end of the lay of Bengal. 



lie *ea U our only standard of measurement to which tli form 



be re/erred. Regarding it as the general surface of 



the globe, all elevations above or depressions below that surface are, as 



from it. P.utlheso 500 or 000 feet, fortunately, 



are the greatest exK-ut to which the sea-level can be affected, aa there 

 ;.art i-f tin- globe where the attraction on one side, ami tin- 

 deficiency <-f attraction on tlie other, can be so great as in that 

 particular portion of the world where this difference exist*. 



The t>ottom of the sea is similar to the surface of the land as to the 

 irregular succession of elevations and depressions, ami it is diversified 

 by mountains and valleys and plains of different elevation. The sum- 

 mit* of the submarine mountains rise above the level of the Bea in the 



f islands. In several parts large table-lands are found, whose 

 surface is not at a great depth ).-!. tin- lev.-l of the sea: when th.ir 

 surface U covered with sand, they are named sand-hanks ; and when it 

 consists of coral rocks, coral-banks. Near the edges of these banks the 

 depth of the sea is generally very great. Some of the summits are 

 barren, others are covered with vegetation, but all teem with life of 

 one order or other. The most extensive formation of the submarine 

 table-lands occurs in the North Atlantic. Its most north-eastern pur- 



formed by the Outer Bank and the Great Bank of Newfound- 

 land. [NF.WForxw.ANi>. in GKOH. Div.J We>i of the Great Bank of 



undland are Whale Bank, Green Bank, Biimiuereau, and Mizen 

 Bank. The three last-mentioned banks are situated in front of the 

 entrance of the Gulf of St. Lawrence. Opposite the coasts of Nova 

 Scotia are Sable Bank and l.e Have Bank ; and then follow, in the 

 rame south-western direction, St. George's Bank, or the banks of Nan- 

 tucket, which approach the continent of North America in the vicinity 

 of New York. From this point the banks occur at a short distance 

 from the shores of the United States, and extend, almost without 

 interruption, to t'ape Florida and Sable Point, the most southern 

 extremity of the peninsula of Florida. West of this peninsula is the 

 Tortuga Bank, the continuation of which skirts the shores of the 

 Stall's in Iho (iulf of Mexico as far west as the mouths of the 

 ippi. This series of banks occupies more than 1400 miles in 

 length ; but there is always water enough on them for the largest 

 vessels, with the exception of the Virgin Rocks on the Great Bank of 

 Newfoundland, and the shoals of St. George's Bank. In all the other 

 parts the least depth is not less than ten fathoms, and in general forty 

 fathoms of water are found on them. The surface of these banks is 

 very level. Along the northern and north-western edge, which lies 

 t to the coast of America, the depth suddenly descends to 100 

 fathoms, atid along the southern edge to 300 fathoms. The descent 

 ' lie edge of the bank to the deep sea is nearly perpendicular. 

 The banks, especially those north of 40 N. lat., are frequented by 

 use shoals of fish, especially cod. 



The Columbian banks, under which name are comprehended all the 

 Kinks which begin opposite the eastern shores of the "peninsula of 

 Floii.la and extend iu a south-eastern direction to the Hona Passage 

 u Haiti and Put-rto Rico, are divided from the North American 

 banks by the Florida (iulf stream. They consist of two larger banks, 

 called the Little and Great Bahama Bank, which occupy the north- 

 western portion of the group, and of five smaller banks, which occur 

 at great distances from one another in a south-eastern direction. These 

 banks have from 15 to 20 fathoms water on their edges, but they are 

 beset with rocks and numerous shoals, of which a few are dry at low- 

 water : they are therefore shunned by vessels. The surface of the 

 Kinks consults of coral, covered with an accumulation of shells and 

 calcareous sand. On their eastern edges, along the Atlantic, are the 

 Bahama Islands. 



Of the smaller banks which occur in the Atlantic we shall only 

 mention the Bank of Arguiu, which lies near the western coast of 

 North Africa, beginning at Cape Blanco (21 N. lat.), ami extending to 

 tin- neighbourhood of Portendik (about 18 N. lat.). It is dangerous 

 for navigators, as there are many parts in which the water is not deep 

 enough for large vessels, many of which have been lost on it. The 

 At 1'ilhoH, near the coast of Brazil, between 16 and 18 S. lat., is not 

 extensive, but it is extremely dangerous on account of the soundings 

 being very irregular, varying l>ctween 86 and 4 fnthoms. In (wo 

 successive casts of the hand-lead the soundings frequently vary from 

 30 to 10, and sometimes even to 4 fathoms. 



There are several banks in the Indian Ocean : the most extensive 

 are the Saya de Malha and the Bank of Nazareth. The Baya de Malha 

 extends in length from north to smith between 8 18' and 11 :. 

 ii cut by 01" 30" E. lung. The surface in uneven, and in many places 



there sr<- not more than between 6 and III fall 



of corals and shells. The molt south, in . \tr. mil , 



bank consists of the islands called Cargados. in It; 17' S. 



60* E. long. From this point the bank extends in a north north-east 



direction to 14 S. lat. The surface is .il the least 



depth of water does not fall short of 1 I fathoms. 



An extensive bank, called the Needle or Agulhan Bank, surrounds 

 the southern extremity of Africa. It extends towards the west 

 beyond the Cape of Go>>d Hope, and towards the easl b,-\-oi:.. 

 Padrone, oast of Algoa Bay. As it is not divi.l l>anks, 



from the. continent by a tract of . I : . r, it is not to be con- 



sidered as a table-laud, but as a submarine prolongation of the 



n I'.ipe Agulhas (10 E. long.) and - 



I.-" K. long.), it extends to 87 S. lat., or to a distance exceeding 150 

 miles from the continent. The depth of water on this bunk 

 between 30 and 90 fathoms. The surface is composed of coarse sand, 

 corals, shells, and small stones. Along its western edge it is skirted 

 by a mud-bank, which is covered by water from 50 to ! 

 deep. The structure of the land is thus continued into the sea, ! 

 the extremities of continents, in other parts of the worli i 

 the islands of Tierra del Fue^o at the termination of South America. 

 In other cases, as on the coast of Norway, there is a rap 

 plete cessation of the high ground in the course of a very small distance 

 from i 



There are numerous banks in the Pacific, especially south of 

 lat. All the larger banks are surrounded by coral reefs, on which 

 islands of small extent often occur. [KcF.Fs.J Near banks, the sea 

 usually dee|ieiiH to 200 and 300 fathoms, and even more. 



The subject of the depth of the sea in general next claiu 

 attention. We are best acquainted with the depth of several close 

 seas, especially those which are much navigated. The depth of the 

 Baltic is inconsiderable; it usually varies between ,'lo and 40 fathoms, 

 ami only in two or three places sinks below 100 fai horns. 

 Sea is somewhat deeper in its northern part. Between the Sii 

 Islands and the coast of Norway the depth varies betv. 

 140 fathoms, but it gets gradually shallower towards the south, in 

 the Straits of Dover the deepest place is only 20 fathoms. 'II, 

 of the English Channel increases as we proceed towards 1 1 

 very slowly. East of the Eddystone it does n 



The Irish Channel is in general deeper. Though there are some places 

 between Wales and Ireland in which it does not i 

 its general depth may be Raid to vary between 00 and Mi fathoms; 

 and iu the strait between the county of Antrim and that of \\'n,ton in 

 Scotland it attains 100 fathoms. The Mediterranean is much . 

 than the Baltic and North Sea, more especially along the southern 

 coast of Spain and about the island of Sardinia, where the depth 

 varies between 600 and 1000 fathoms; but the deepest (arts appear to 

 be in the spaces devoid of islands to the west of Sardinia, ami : 

 east of Malta, where the depth is about 17>; 

 A shallow tract extends from Trapaui in SiciK 

 it is called by the Italian sailors sclierclti, and is 

 but very variable depth. That portion of the Mediterrai 

 lies east of this shallow tract is not so deep as the \\ . The 



Red Sea may be compared in depth with the eastern part of the 

 Mediterranean. [Ki:i> SKA, in ..] The tea which sum 



the islands of the western gulf of the Indian Archip. 

 nowhere to sink much below 60 fathom-!, and these is].; 

 belong to the continent of Asia; but on the coast of Northern 

 Borneo, in the Straits of Lombrok, and near the middle of the Strait 

 of Macassa, commences, southward and east', ry deep sea 



hitherto unfathomed. 



The main body of the sea has a much greater depth. In most parts 

 of the Atlantic, where the sea has been sounded, no bottom 

 with 31MI fathoms. IVt . rica the b.n 



to offer great inequalities, being furrowed by deeper tracts, which run 

 north and south. In the North Atlantic are the p 

 which the bottom of the sea has be. > he pl.-uvs |,ere it has 



been fathomed, according to Maury, are not deeper tl. 

 about four miles and three quarters. The deepest place in this ocean 

 is probably betweeu the parallels of 35 and 40 N., and i. 

 to the southward of the Grand Banks of Newfoundland, 

 general depth of this part of the Atlantic has given rise to the oj. 

 that the sea round the North Pole is not so deep as thai 

 rounds the South Pole, but this opinion has no foundation. I 

 and Scoresby sounded in several places between Spitsbergen 



ud with from 780 to 1200 fathoms, without finding a bottom ; 

 and Ellis and Ross did the same in Hudson'.- H.imn's Bay! 



In the Pacific Ocean the depth seems also to b, lc, but 



few soundings have been made 



'!'!.. depth of the sea near the land varies with the nature' of the 

 shores. Where the country near the sea i 

 high and rocky shores, the sea is gen 



:ds of Norway. Such shores have generally good and safe 

 harbours. But when alow p nates on the sea with a flat 



sandy bank, the sea is shallow and ; ,ncs to be so to a 



great distance from the shore. In many places such shores are 

 inaccessible even to boats, and vessels must keep at a distance of many 

 miles. Such shallows consist cither of sand or of, mud. These low 



