OCEANIC SOUNDINGS. 



17 



from the shore, and in the vicinity of the most active volcanic area in the Sunda 

 Islands. Along nearly the whole coastline of the Antarctic lands south of the 

 Indian and Pacific Oceans the waters appear to be much shallower, judging at 

 least from the results of the few soundings that have hitherto been taken. It 

 would almost seem as if the greater cavities had been gradually filled in by the 

 ice-borne débris from the austral regions. Nevertheless, an enormous abyss does 

 apparently occur under the Antarctic polar circle to the south-east of the Southern 



y is. 8. 



-Depths op the Austral Seas. 

 Scale 1 : 100,000,000. 



Depths. 



^ 



to 1,000 



Fathoms. 



1,000 to 2,000 

 Fathom:-. 



2.000 to 3.000 

 Fathoms. 



3,000 to 4,000 

 Fatlioms. 



4,000 Fathoms 

 and upwards. 



1,200 Miles. 



Orkneys, where James Ross failed to touch the bottom with a sounding line 

 over 4,200 fathoms long. This solitary record, however, will have to be verified 

 by fresh observations. 



Compared with the Indian Ocean, which is destitute of islands in its more 



central parts, the Pacific, everywhere studded with archipelagoes, presents an 



extremely irregular bed. In many places occur elevated submarine banks, which 



would be transformed to islands or peninsulas were the sea-level to be lowered a 



2—0 



