CHAP. XXXII. 

 TTHB OCEAN, ITS PROPEIITUSS AND DIVISIONS. 



SECTION I. 

 I. Introductory Remarks. 



the progress of the earth, under the control of the 

 Almighty fiat, from a state of chaos to a state of order, the laws 

 of gravity seem uniformly to have maintained their power. And 

 hence the immense mass of water which at first lay heterogeneouslv 

 intermixed with the other principles of things, was gradually pressed 

 out from the rest, ascended to the surface, as Hie lightest mate- 

 rial of the whole, united its particles into one common body, and 

 at length entered in an aggregate form into those immense hollows 

 which were best fitted for its reception. It is these hollows which 

 constitute the bed of the ocean. Hence the natural division of the 

 surface of the globe is into sea and land ; about three-fourths of 

 the whole being occupied by water, though probably no where to 

 a depth comparatively very considerable ; at most not more than 

 that of a few miles on an average. The larger portions of the land 

 we denominate continents ; and, in like manner we call the larger 

 divisions of the ocean seas ; the distinctive character of the water 

 as compared with that of lakes and rivers, being its saltness, 

 from its holding m solution a considerable quantity of muriat of 

 soda, the source of which we shall presently enquire into. The 

 larger seas are themselves, however, not unfrequently dignified, 

 but improperly, with the name of oceans. Thus that vast expanse 

 of water which lies to the westward of the northern and southern 

 continents of America, is, on account of the uniform and tempe. 

 rate gales which sweep its surface within the tropics, denominated 

 " the Pacific Ocean ;" which has again beeu distinguished into 

 the Northern and Southern Pacific, the equator being consi- 

 dered as the boundary of each, and c< the Southern Ocean," being 

 consequently that part of the general assemblage of waters whicU 

 rolls in the direction from about the fortieth degree of latitude to* 

 VOL. in. v 



