114 J.W.SPENCER RECONSTRUCTION OF ANTILLEAN CONTINENT. 



of the great depressions in lines with the existing embayments seems 

 fulty to warrant the inference of formerly continuous drainage systems- 

 On the northern side of Yucatan the descent from a depth of 800 feet 

 to 12,030 feet is generally precipitous (section A A' on map) ; but cross- 

 ing the submerged terraces one great valley is known — the Yucatan? 

 which is apparent from 3,500 feet below the surface to nearly 12,000 feet, 

 with a short but deep tributary from the west. Its landward connections 

 have not yet been recognized. 



The Floridian valley is drowned for a length of about 400 miles, and 

 descends from a depression of 2,064 below the surface to 6,000 feet oppo- 

 site Havana, and to a depth of 12,000 feet after passing the line of the 

 Florida and Cuba shelves. Several confluents tributary -like have already 

 been revealed by the soundings, as those from Havana, Matanzas, 

 Cabanos (3,075 feet, with the adjacent shelf only 1,200 feet) and two large 

 branches from between the Bahamas and Cuba, with cols not over 1,500 

 feet below the surface. Longitudinal and transverse sections of the 

 Floridian fjord are shown on the accompanying map. The slow deep- 

 ening and increase in size of this Floridian valley is much like that of a 

 river. Part of this valley joins the Abacan fjord. 



The fjords of the sea of Honduras are remarkable. Of the type thus 

 far treated, that of the gulf of Cazones is most notable. Near the head of 

 the gulf the submarine valley is 2,250 feet deep, and it has tributaries 

 from Cochinos and Xagua bays. Still enclosed between the land and 

 the keys for a distance of 70 miles, the fjord of Cazones increases in 

 depth to 7,500 feet before joining the outer valley. The Cayman repre- 

 sents another depressed channel uniting with that from the gulf of 

 Cazones. 



Fjords parallel to the mountain folds are best represented by the nar- 

 row channel north of Haiti (the Haitian, shown in section Q C on the 

 map). Its source north of Cuba is depressed 1,500 feet below tide, but 

 it deepens, so that at its mouth it is 13,746 feet below the same level. 

 While this drowned valley cuts through the continental shelf, it is par- 

 allel to the mountain ranges and part of this depth may have been due 

 to folding by mountain movements, such, however, as did not close the 

 submerged valley and form a basin. There are other notable valleys ex- 

 tending westward from Haiti which are also parallel with the mountain 

 folds. These connect with Bartlett deep south of Cuba. This last de- 

 pression forms a narrow trough extending westward for 600 miles and 

 strikingly resembles a land valley ; but it reaches to the enormous depth 

 of over 20,000 feet, while its western end is closed by Honduras and 

 Central America. It lies between the great mountain folds of Cuba, Haiti 

 and Jamaica, but these mountain disturbances grow weak before reach- 



