The Yazoo City weekly Whig. (Yazoo City, Miss.) 18??-1855, 1855-03-23
TIE ocE4N ~ 4 = DEPTIIs.

TIE OCEAN AND IS DEPTHS.
Pro Omstea 81 New Hayep Conn,
ha contributed p tie ast nun d the New
Highlander "a article entitled Philosophical
Survey q tie Ocean. fon which We MAKE TIE
following extract:
Ihewatefs of ocean cover neatly three
tourths Or more exactly, e-sayenths) q the
surface Of the giobei and 81 The thifiy-sIg GIT
millions of miles Of dry land in lence, twen-
weight belongs the Northern hemisphere.
The mean depth oF the ocean has been various
u stated, but may for tie present b taken 81
four miles; the numerous soundings now II pro-
gress win soon enable is e speak with more
dehniteheas % this point Enough bus already
been done to prove taa she depth is exceeding
u unequal; that Ike the surface Of the EARTH
the bottom Of the ocean here rises il mountain
peaks, and there sinks ID deep valleys. Until
recently the deepest soundings eyer made, was
that BY Captain scoresby ii the polar seas,
which was short IF mile and half AS late
as 1913, The maximum soundings was that Of
Captain Ross, in the South Atlantic, and gave
q, 500 feet or little over BYE miIes, without
finding bottom. But more recently, at d point
of the Atlantic further North, Lieut.. Walsh, Of
the United States schooner fancy, sounded,
without reaching bottom, Is the depth of 84,-
900 feet or nearly IS 10 niles. Within short
time Capt. Denham communicated % the Reya
Society report Of having reached the bottom
of the Atlantic. ID pass RON Rio DC Jan
GIRO to the Cape Of Good Hope, at the astonish-
ing depth Of 77.7o6 fafhoms. Or S IL miles; q
depth 50 profound, that the plammet occupied
in It's descent from the reel nearly 9 IL hours.
From these results It appears that the depths Of
hesocean exceed the heights 81 the mountains.
since the loftiest submits 81 the ETlnmalaya
are it'll more than 2seoo feet, 81 5 IA miles.
Notwithsr hiding these enormous depts, there
are large tracts Of tbe ocean comparatively
LOW, and ii the immediate vicinity Of places
bottom COZ Be fund ere epots Of
no onconmo These indie 6
that the bed ol lhe Sea i diversified Ike
surface Of the earth. The Gulf Of Mexico IS
thought not ID. exceed on an average one mile;
and the Greenland seas are of such moderate
depths, that whales, when harpooned, often run
to the bottom, as IS indicated BIZ their appear
ance when they rise again to the surface.
Whales are even supposed to seek part sc
their food at the bottom Of the sea.
z4----.-S-e.-.-
TIE French SpoIiation BIZ a Washington
despatch says; 1T is an error to suppose that
the French Spoliation claims are effectually
smothered by the veto. JIG the House should
pass the Senate bill for the re-estabishment Of
a Court for the adjudication Of claims upon the
Government the claimants under the vetoed bill
can move before this court de noVo. IL legal
tribunal such Is the one proposed. shonld decide
Ia favor 81 the claimants no further interpretation
need be anticipated from the executive.
The following. i LIST Of States that have
enacted Ian entirely prohibiting III sale Of IN
toxicating drinks for beverage. Maine Rhode
Island, Massachusetts, Nermont AIi3hig1n, In
diana, Wisconsin, Come eticut and illinois
pea An English officer now a prisoner ia Sc
bastopol had q letter sent him from young la-
dy in England 70 the effect that she chopped
Whenhe took Menehikotf prisoner that be would
send her button from bis coat FOR her 70 keep
as relic The letter was forwarded ~ flag
Of truce into SebastopoI with other letters for
prisoners now in che enemy hands. This let
ter however fell into Msnchikoi own hands,
to be read. of course ere delivered On coming
to the above pa sage he Immediately cut but
ton from his own coat, and sent tunder flag Of
truce to be carried to the lady tgith remark TO
lie follown Hect "That he had 10 idea yet
sf heino talken prisoneT but rather than disap-
nosnt 4 vonno l6fv fso sinple 4 rennest. he
arrived
The Senate ST Indiana has passed bill
81 ,aa ,,,,,,s Is, ~ ,-;1o .;oy