TBEEACES AND RIVER VALLEYS OF WESTERN EUROPE. 295 



There is a most interesting collateral illustration to corroborate 

 the statement that during a period of emergence, the surface of the 

 ocean washed the base of the Great Declivity. Thus, the present 

 course of the Jordan lies below the actual level of the Red Sea. 

 Even the lake of Galilee lies 653 feet below the sea level, and the 

 Jordan, on entering the Dead Sea, which is 1,292 feet below the 

 level of the Mediteri'anean, finds no outlet. But there is sufficient 

 indication in the line of valleys extending southward, bounded by 

 the precipitous rocks of Mount Seir, that at one time the Jordan 

 discharged itself into the Red Sea, south of Mount Sinai, its 

 former canon (I use the word canon, in deference to the author ; 

 but greatly object to a superfluous foreign name), now submarine, 

 constituting the Gulf of Akaba. Geologically speaking, I should 

 consider this to be the submerged estuary of the Jordan. 



The North Atlantic Ocean cannot be classed among the volcanic 

 regions of the globe, nor does it appear that the ^cn^form. submersion 

 of its coasts has the very remotest connection with volcanic 

 phenomena. On the other hand, the existence of the magnificent 

 gorge or canon, along the lower course of the Tagus, now sub- 

 marine, seems to be confirmed by the fact that, during the earth- 

 quake of Lisbon, in 1755. the lower part of the city and quays, 

 forming the frontage of the river, were engulfed in a moment, 

 and that no traces of them were ever found since then. They 

 seem to have been precipitated to the bottom of the caiion. 

 Indeed to such instantaneous circumstance — if accepted as justifi- 

 able — I would attribute the telluric commotion which, if not the 

 immediate cause of the Lisbon earthquake, certainly would have 

 imparted to it that intensity which gives it a terrific and tragic 

 precedence over all the earthquakes which have devastated Europe. 

 Full well do I anticipate that I am facing the jeers of hosts of 

 believers in far different causes for the Lisbon earthquake, but 

 Professor Hull has proved to a nicety, that the existence of the 

 great caiion of the Tagus defies contradiction, and perhaps my 

 explanation may be considered as true by many. 



Most remarkable is the uniform existence of a steej) sub- 

 marine escarpment, some 1,500 miles long, and of about 800 

 fathoms in depth, which feature is quite unknown in the northern 

 hemisphere, as far as regards emerged ground. Of coui'se the 

 reader could 7ieve.r suppose that Professor Hull intended to show 

 that it presented that gentle and regularly curved outline tolnch is 

 soinewhat diagrariimatically shown even in the most accurate charts, 

 for the excellent reason that soundings of upwards of 200 fathoms 



Y 2 



