32 DEPTH OF THE OCEAN. 



interminable plains around them. Then should we 

 discover sandy deserts of immense extent ; coral banks 

 mimicking an arborescent vegetation, and every con- 

 ceivable variety of hill, of crag and of precipice, con- 

 fusedly hurled together. Not the least remarkable 

 feature in the savage landscape would probably be the 

 pebbly slopes, the beach left high and dry, where water- 

 rounded stones are as nicely sorted into sizes as if they 

 had been passed through a series of riddles. 



The bottom being thus diversified, it is needless to 

 say that the comparative depth of water in the ocean 

 varies enormously. One of the most remarkable chains 

 of shoals yet discovered extends along the coast of North 

 America for 1400 miles, commencing with the great 

 fishing banks of Newfoundland, and continuing, with 

 little interruption, to the coast of Florida. The water 

 on these banks ranges from 10 to 40 fathoms. The 

 strait that separates them from America is from 100 

 to 300 fathoms deep, whilst towards the Atlantic their 

 sides go rapidly down beyond ordinary soundings. The 

 North Sea, separating Great Britain from Norway, is 

 in all places extremely shallow, the greatest depth in 

 no place exceeding 140 fathoms. It is shallowest in 

 the southern part, where there is not sufficient depth 

 of water to cover St. Paul's Cathedral. The English 

 Channel slowly deepens towards the Atlantic ; east of 

 the Edistone it is less than 50 fathoms. In the Irish 

 Channel the depth varies from 60 to 80 or 100 fathoms. 

 Off the west coast of Ireland the water deepens much 

 more rapidly, a depth of 300 to 400 fathoms being 

 found in some places at no great distance from the 



