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PAGE 



No. ii. THE MEDITERRANEAN SEA ..... 216 



This paper appeared in the ninth edition of the 

 Encyclopaedia Britannica. 



When I was asked by the editor, my old friend, the 

 late Professor Robertson Smith, to write it, he told me 

 that the Historical Geography of the Mediterranean had 

 been amply dealt with in other articles, inasmuch as it 

 was synonymous with the Geographical History of 

 Civilization. What was wanted was the Hydrographic 

 Geography of the Mediterranean and as he was familiar 

 with all my work in the "Challenger" and other ships 

 he was sure that I could furnish it. 



As the work of preparing the paper promised to be 

 congenial and the compliment of being asked to do so 

 was great, I accepted his proposal at once. 



Location and Delimitation of the Mediterranean Sea 216 



It separates Europe from Africa. 



It has in round numbers a length of 2100 nautical 

 miles and a superficial area of one million square miles. 



The word mile, in this paper, always means nautical 

 mile, of which sixty go to a degree of the great circle of 

 the terrestrial sphere. 



It is divided into two principal basins which are 

 separated by the island Sicily and the submarine 

 plateau which connects that island with the continent 

 of Africa. The greatest depth of water on this plateau 

 is under 200 fathoms. 



The maximum depth of the Mediterranean Sea is 

 little over 2000 fathoms and is nearly alike in the two 

 basins .......... 217 



Distribution of Shoals and Islands . . . 218 



Graham's Island is a singular case. It appeared in 

 July, 1831, and reached its maximum size at the end of 

 August; then gradually dwindled and by the end of the 

 year had disappeared below the surface of the sea. 



It affords a terrestrial parallel with the Novae in the 

 firmament ......... 219 



Description of the Adriatic ..... 220 



The northern part shallow; in the middle a deep 

 basin with maximum depth 765 fathoms is shut off 

 from the outer Mediterranean by a ridge covered by 

 water having a depth less than 400 fathoms. 



