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Photo by JJrnest L,. Harris 

 SCENE IN A GREEK VILLAGE ON THE ASIATIC SHORE OF THE DARDANELLES STRAIT 



THE BLACK SEA 



If the Black Sea lacks the charm of its 

 southern neighbor, its physical features 

 are on a scale befitting its greater size, 

 and it forms the natural outlet for a ter- 

 ritory of far vaster extent and commer- 

 cial importance. Into it pour from dif- 

 ferent points of its low, northern coast 

 four of the greatest rivers in Europe — • 

 the Danube, the Dnieper, the Don, and 

 the Dniester — all of them longer than the 

 Rhine and exceeded in length only by the 

 Aolga. Our own jMississippi, of course, 

 is longer than any of them, having a 

 course of 2,616 miles, while that of the 

 Danube is 1,725. 



Its greater depths — which are very 

 deep indeed, sinking to 7,000 feet — con- 

 tain no discoverable form of organic life, 

 which does not prevent it, however, from 

 harboring an astounding variety of fish. 

 Like the Mediterranean, the Black Sea 

 is also tideless, or imperceptibly tidal, 

 and a strong surface current flows out of 

 it through the Bosphorus, another one 

 returning at a lower level. 



Upon the eastern end of the Black Sea 

 abuts the noble range of the Caucasus, 

 loftier than any other in Europe and not 



unworthy to compare with the Rocky 

 Mountains, the Andes, or even the Hima- 

 layas. 



In contrast to the generally flat north- 

 ern shore, the southern is a series of high 

 and broken scarps that hold up the pla- 

 teau of Asia Minor. These are largely 

 wooded. In natural harbors the Black 

 Sea is not well provided. In fact, the 

 only landlocked anchorage is found in 

 the Crimea. 



But the Russians, the Rumanians, and 

 the Bulgarians have improved their vari- 

 ous ports, and from them lines of com- 

 munication radiate by land and sea to 

 every part of the world, tapping the great 

 wheat and oil fields adjoining the Black 

 Sea and the rich agricultural regions of 

 Transcaspia. The Turkish coast is still 

 innocent of harbors or railroads, al- 

 though it does a considerable trade in 

 foreign bottoms. It is one of the prin- 

 cipal tobacco-growing districts of the 

 world, besides exporting wool, gums, 

 nuts, and other natural products. 



The history of the Black Sea has al- 

 ways been associated with that of the 

 lesser lake forming its outlet. The 

 Greeks ventured into it at a very early 

 period, bestowing upon it the name of 



449 



