320 



ON THE BED OF THE 



tral parts, and that, upon the whole, it is deeper 

 on the British, than on the continental shores, the 

 coast of Norway excepted. 



We have already observed, that this sea is much 

 encumbered with sand-banks, or great accumulations 

 of debris, especially in the middle or central parts, 

 and also along the shores towards what may be 

 termed the apex of the bay, extending from the 

 river Thames, along the shores of Holland, &c. to 

 the Baltic. One of these great central banks, deli- 

 neated on the chart, and known to mariners as the 

 Long Forties, trends north-east in the direction 

 of the ebb-tide from the entrance of the Frith of 

 Forth, no less than 110 miles, while the Denmark 

 and Jutland banks may also be traced on the chart 

 from the entrance of the Baltic, upwards of 105 

 miles in a north-western direction. Besides these, 

 we have also another great central range of banks, 

 which is crossed by no fewer than four of our sec- 

 tional lines. These are known under the common 

 appellation of the Dogger Bank, which is subdivid- 

 ed by the navigator into the Long-Bank, the White- 

 Bank, and the Well-Bank, including an extent of 

 upwards of 354 miles from north to south. There 

 are also a vast number of shoals and sand-banks, 

 lying wholly to the southward of our section, be- 

 tween Flamborough Head and Heligoland. Alto- 

 gether, therefore, the superficies of these extensive 

 banks is found to occupy no inconsiderable portion 

 of the whole area of the German Ocean ; the sur- 



