Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1854-09-21
THE RED SEA.

At meeting OF the Royal Geographical So
oiety, D. Bulst read the following paper
The Red Sea is the mosss sasgrkshle estuary
on the surface Of the goDc; it is one thousand,
two hundred and eighty miles in length, with
a maximum breadth of nearly two hundred
miles circuit of four thousand and twenty
miles; and an area of one hundred and eighty
thousand one hundred and fifty-four miles its
cubic contents are probably about eight hun
dred thousand miles its greatest depth is four
hundred fathoms. The main depth of its axis
is about one hundred and twenty fathoms, for
about ten miles long mid channel. The nep tides
ut Alden, Ras Nlohammend and Suez, are about
five feet, the spring is about seven feet, and the
rise in the upper end of the sea, by a continued
south wind, is about four feet. The tempera-
ture and saltness of tho Red Sea is almost the
same as that Of the ocean. The evaporation
over its surface amounts to about eight feet an
nually, which seems to be provided for by u
strong inward current from the Indian Ocean,
a lower current of the water thus contracted
flowing out again through the Gulf of Alden
sweeping around by Scinde and so southwark !;
till deludcd by deluges of rain from the western
shores of India. Crossing again to Africa, it
flows northward, and returns to the place whence
it came, giving of fresh supplies of vapor to
the rainless distincts around.
The Red Sea is walled in by vast chains of
mountains, which, from the eleventh to the
sixteenth parallel, and from Alden to two hun
dred miles into Abyssinia, are volcanic, afford
inga volcanic field ofabout ten thousand square
miles in area, probably the third largest in the
world, portion of which is still active. Gil
belteer has been smoking continually for the
past century and violent eruption occurred in
the Pebas Islands, in 1916 From latitude six
teenth degree, to latitude thirteenth the rocks
seem mostly to belong to the vast nummulitic
formation, which has been traced from Burmah
to the Bay of Biscay, in one continuous sheet,
around nearly one-third of the globe. All
around tlfc shores Of the Rxd Sea, are evidences
OF a submergence aud re-mergence of the land
at probably recent geological period. The
volcano of Alden contains an old sea beach in
its crater.
The Isthmus of Suez is formerly Of gravel
and shells, the latter being identical with those
now found in the seas adjoining and there is
reason to suppose that this part of the shore
has risen from six to ten feet within the last
three thousand years Mr. Robert Stephens has
proved by survey, that the level of the waters
Of the Mediterranean and the Red Sea is the
same, and to all appearance the bitter lakes
on the lsthmus have at one time formed por-
ton of the sea, though the surface of the wa
tcrs is now fifty feet below its level.
The Gulf of Akaba differs remarkably in its
characteristics from that of the Suez, from
which it is separated by the lst1mus of Senai
The Wadi- ARABIA, OF valley, stretching from the
Gulf of Akaba toward the Dead Sea, appears
in part, to be an old sea beach, deeply groovcd
by torrents; but, however interesting to the
geographer, very little is known about it, The
summit level has been placed in the transactions
of this Society for 1918, at four hundred and
eishty-fve feet, but from the paper of Captain
VIM. Allen, of the Royal Navy, in the twenty
third volume, it is evident that nothing certain
is known, either about the position or altitude
of its divide. From Akaba to the Dead Sea is
distance of about one hundred and five miles,
the surface of the latter being one thousand
three hundred and fifty feet below that of the
Mediterranean and we are altogether ignorant
of the extent of the boundaries of this extra
ordinary depression
1t is singular, that though the Red Sea is
traversed every week by scores of Englishmen,
and though vessels of the Indian Navy are con-
stantly cruising about in it, Or lying at Suaror
Alden, we know less of its physical geography
than we do of that of Siberia, the Ural Noun
tains or some portion of the Arctic regions !;
and while the wilds of South AHerica are be-
ing carefully explored, a tract of vast impor-
tance associated as it is in our minds with some
Of the most wonderful events in sacred history
remains utterly neglected at our doors.