45 
German Ocean, or North Sea, „ 
' To be more particular with regard to the depth of the German 
Ocean, or North Sea, it will be observed by the sections and sound- 
ings marked upon the chart, that the water gradually deepens as 
we sail from south to north. The first of these sections which we 
shall notice is on the parallel of 8 degrees of east longitude, 
running from Ostend to the latitude of the northmost of the 
Shetland Islands, being an extent of 227 leagues. The depth, 
as will be seen from this section, (which, to avoid confusion in 
the body of the chart, is traced along the western side of it,) 
varies rather after an irregular progression, from 120 fa^ 
thorns towards the northern extremity of this sectional line, to 
58, 38, 24 and 18 fathoms, as we proceed southwards, to with- 
in five miles of the shore, nearer which we do not approach 
in our remarks regarding the soundings. Notwithstanding 
the irregularity of the depth from the occurrence of nume- 
rous sand-banks, it is curious to observe the increase upon the 
whole as we proceed from south to north, by which this sea ex- 
hibits all the characteristic features of a great bay, encumbered 
with numerous sand-banks. 
In the same manner, though not strictly connected with our 
present purpose, we way observe, that the English Channel 
deepens progressively from Dover to its entrance, formed by 
the Land’s-End of England and the Isle of Ushant, on the 
coast of France ; so that the Strait between Dover and Calais 
may be said to form a point of partition between two great 
inclined planes, forming the bottom of these seas. 
Besides the longitudinal, or north and south sectional line 
described above, we have also six other sections delineated in an 
easterly and westerly direction, across the accompanying chart, 
which are as follow. One between the Shetland Islands 
and the coast of Norway ; a second between Tarbetness in 
Ross-shire and the Naze of Norway ; a third extends from 
the Frith of Forth to the coast of Denmark ; a fourth from 
the mouth of the River Tyne to Sylt Island, also in Den- 
mark; a fifth from Flamborough-Head, in Yorkshire, to the 
mouth of the River Elbe ; and the sixth is from Y armouth to 
Egmond-op-Zee, on the coast of Holland. Other sections of 
this sea have also been made, which include the general eleva- 
1 
