PHYSICAL CONDITIONS OF THE MEDITERRANEAN BASIN, 117 



with tlie eastern basin ; the other conuectino- -with the 

 western basin was discovered by Admiral Smyth.* 



Tliis chain of inland lakes was supplied iiot only by the 

 streams directly entering from Europe on the north, and from 

 Africa on the south hy the Nile, but with the central Asian 

 drainage, so that there Avas a continuous flow from the 

 Caspian, through the Black Sea, the Dardanelles, the Sea of 

 Marmora into the iMediterranean lakes. Kamsay infers that 

 the waters of this great chain of lakes emptied themselves 

 into the Atlantic, but he is in doubt whether the waters were 

 Salter or fresher than they are now; and he adds, -'that 

 they were not fresh ^ve may be certain ; " though he 

 modifies the statement b.y saying that "it may be, that like 

 the Black Sea noAv, these inland Mediterranean lakes were 

 gradually freshen ing."t 



It is at this point, which is of the highest importance in 

 our present inquiry, that the evidence to be gathered from 

 the abundance of hippopotami and freshwater turtles comes 

 to our aid. J Doubtless at the commencement of the elevatory 

 period the waters of the whole area were salt ; but the 

 ultimate effect of the establishment of the conditions above 

 described must, as it seems to the author, have resulted in 

 the formation of freshwater basins ; and it was only in Avaters 

 of this kind that (judging by the present habits of the 

 animal) hippopotami could have lived and multiplied. 



In the first place the evaporating area was greatlv 

 contracted as compared with that of the present day. AV'e 

 carmot say exactly to what extent as compared with the 

 present surface of the Mediterranean and its oflshoots, but 

 we shall probably not greatly err in considering the evapora- 

 ting surface to have been about two-thirds that of the 

 present day. (See Map.) In onler to establish land com- 

 munication between Sicily and Tunis an elevation of the sea- 

 bed to the extent of 250 fathoms would be necessary ; but 

 the chain of lakes connected by river channels as indicated by 

 Spratt would be established by a rise of 200 fathoms. Such a 



* Spratt, lot: cit., p. 292. 



t Ibid., p. 8, the depth of the shallowest portion of the Straits of 

 Gibraltar i.s a little over 400 fathoms, so that the rise of the bed of the 

 Mediterranean Sea by 250 fathoms would allow of a channel 150 fathoms 

 deep to carry the waters into the ocean. 



I We might also add elephants, as the larp^e herds of these animals 

 which, with the hippopotami, nurst have occupied the Maltese region, would 

 have required a considerable extent of fresh watei' for their enjoyment. 



