72 THE OCEAN RIVER 



fined within an area stretching from the west coast of Europe 

 to the east coast of America and embracing the west Atlantic 

 islands and the Antilles. So far as I am aware these elements 

 are not found associated with each other in any other part of 

 the world." 



The French savant Termier is one of the few distinguished 

 men of science who exhibit anything but the most extreme 

 caution in regard to this hypothesis of Spence. But Termier is 

 convinced that there is enough geological evidence to put solid 

 ground under the overseas legends. He writes: ''Geologically 

 speaking, the Platonic history of the Atlantis is highly prob- 

 able. ... It is entirely reasonable to believe that long after the 

 opening of the Straits of Gibraltar certain of these submerged 

 lands still existed, and among them a marvelous island, sepa- 

 rated from the African continent by a chain of smaller islands. 

 One thing alone remains to be proved— that the cataclysm 

 which caused this island to disappear was subsequent to the 

 appearance of man in western Europe. The cataclysm is un- 

 doubted. Did men then live who could withstand the reaction 

 and transmit the memory of it? That is the whole question. I 

 do not believe it at all insoluble, though it seems to me that 

 neither geology nor zoology will solve it. These two sciences 

 appear to have told all they can tell, and it is from anthro- 

 pdtogy, from ethnography and lastly from oceanography, that 

 I am waiting the final answer." 



Termier is not alone in waiting; though when he states that 

 oceanography may solve the question he cannot help but leave 

 open the geological end of research that he seems to regard as 

 closed. When Termier wrote this resume of the question, the 

 art of taking cores from the ocean bed, the skill of underwater 

 photography, and the electronic science of sounding abyssal 

 lock by radio and shock waves had not been developed as they 

 are today. The modern oceanographer can reach down two 

 miles into blue water and explore what has long been hidden. 



