New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1854-04-08

It.l
,opp the shores of Prussia aud Pomeraoia being called
the Ve,disq Sea or Bay.-from yeadi. Slavic tribe
The word b. Tic comes Bait Balfus Of the
chief, Of the Goths founder OF tue House OF the Bal
ii vbo ruled over tie YsigotLs in the SOUTH OF Giul
and in Spain. The Baltic, likewise called BY the
sespdnavians and Germans the Eastern Ses, begins
bv the Danish Islands OF Seelaad and F1nen, aud Is
surrounded by Denmark Sweden, Finland, Russia
Prussia and Germany. IL reaches beyond %
northern latitude ts length is 40 miles, breadth I'D
miles. depth as far as the parallel Of Memel rot
more than ffty fatboms. deepening in its more
northern parts to 100 OF 100 fathoms, AMI having
an area Of l25,OO0 geographical squire miles
II opens from the German Sea betweea 81 aud 81
north latitude (betweeu the north coast Of Jutand
and the south coast of Norway by guilt pointing
Ne called the Sleeve or Sks ger Rack which extends
rather more than $50 miles from the Maze OF Norway
TO tie cOst of Sweden and is IN average With about
70 miles II next passes several degrees south what
is called the Csttegat TO the +. OF which Is the
Sound of Esinore. narrow strait about three miles
in breadth between the IF Sweden and the ISL
and OF Zealand This the general passage for ships
going from the North Sea into the Baltic, and toll is
paid here by way of courtesy to the crown of Den
mark which in return erects lighthouses aud
keeps them in proper repair this toll has
been the subject of diplomatic remons.rance.
After passing Zealand the spreads widely to the
northeast and at last branches out into the extern
sive Gulf. OF Bohna and Fnlsnd the latter extending
two hundred miles alnOst due east I'LL withio snort
distance of Lake Ladoga, with mean breadth or sew
euty miles The waves Of the Baltic do nos swell so
high as in the ocean, but they much more danger
Gus apd hsrassipg TO shipping as they succeed each
ether it'll gteattr rapidty and impetuosty; while its
small depth, amounting to an average OF fifteen to
twenty fatLOms, but in many places hardly half so
much the balowuess of the Russian Shore the rugged
nature of the Swedish coast and the sudden and fire.
Quent changes of the wind render this formidable
to ayigators
The southern basu ia surrounded by sanfy plains aud
slightly rising hills of chalk The eastern coast of Swe
dent, and the southern of Finland are belted with
granite rocks and numerous reefs the bottom OF the
Cult of Finland is of calcareous Iock Notwithstanding
it's extent the Baltic has all the of great
lake No sea has in proportion to It's size so great an
influx of fresh water; hence it contains but ttle salt
In proportion 10 the North Sea this is found to be as l94
10 373 The great amount of mud and sand carried
down by the rivers has considerably raised the bottom
of this sea and closed the mouths OF many of its nav
gable streams that the sh which formerly entered
those rivers must cow be anchored at consdera
bic distance from them. This gradual upward
movement of the sea ia rated at several feet in cen
ury and with sandbanks renders the navigation rather
dangerous Some biologists, however pretend that
the waters are seeding slowly and principally at the
northern side where. the rocks of Sweden aud Fin
land have been discovered in the last century inscrp
Iva ,t,iFh
wafer The Baltic is far more cold than the North
Sea- and the ocean at the semc latitude. Ii has no
tides or rather the effect Of the tides is little felt as
not to be observabe but is subject to changes of
level depending on the winds retardng acceeratlng
the passage Of the waters through the Sound and the
Belts These winds rise suddenly and with the utmost
violence During the winter this sea is usually frozen
20 greater less distance along the cOast and insevere
winters not only the Sound and the Belts, but great
part OF its surface is covered with ice The Gulf of
Finland ttav generally ia April.
The Belize receives its waters from the lakes OF
Sweden, Finland from the Dana, Ojer, Vistula Riga,
Pessante Men en-, and numerous other streams not
less than two hundred and fifty ia number. In the
spring on Il melting of the ice and snow the current
isvery strong. The ailuents Ia the Gulf of Both
MIA the river Parwurs about $50 miles long the
Muonio, $50 miles the Luisna, 235 miles Dial 26O
miles k6mi, $50 miles and ten or twelve smaller
ores amounting together to $50 miles
The length of tie Neya is less then 100 miles
About the middle of its is situated st. Peters
burg and thirty miles down at its mouth the city and
the military and commercial harbor Of CrOnstadt. Be-
tween Cronstadt and ST. Petersburg the channel has,
in some parts no more than two fathoms OF water
The Narowa is short stream at whose mouth is stu
aed the commercial city of Narya of some historical
celebrity for the defeat of Peter by Charles XII
From White Russie comes the Dwina or Duna whose
mouth is at Riga, forming small bay called the 1.-Two
MAN. It's length is $50 miles. The Nemen, river
from LhuaDia lie 400 miles long its mouth at Memel ia
Prussia The Vstula ia Poland, issues from the Car
pathian Mountains south Of Cracow, and is $50 miles
and emptes at Dantzic. The Oder comesfr from Slesia
$50 miles, and empties near S;ettin in Pomerania.
Numerous islands are scattered in the Baltic and its
gulf The principal one, at the entrance Of the Gulf
of Bothpa is the Island of Ahand belonging to Russia.
Gotband aud Ahand in the sci ITSELF belong TO Swe
den.
Among the chief harbOrs which may be occupied
during tie coming contest is Kiel in Holstein belong
ing to Denmark 1t is safe and commodious aud will
probably be chosen rslying point for the British
feet Next cones Stettin, Dantzic, Kenigsberg,
Memel and others Of smaller note.
The principal theater Of the war will be the Calf Of
Finland and the entrance of the Gulf of Bohbia where
the leland Of Ahland is situated This strongly forti
fed lies opposite to the City Of Abo in Finland, anl