The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1857-06-28

question since it appears 10 have facilitated the Ope-
raons OF the insurgents In China who are intercept
ing the communications, and in some places render
ing trade with the interior impossible. But in spite
of all these drawbacks, the silk trade Of England i'm.
portant as it is, has less to suffer from the enhanced
price OF the raw material than France, we having
only to do with its manufacture and not with tx
production, and being moreover less dependent on
the particular quality Of silk which has suferedIm0st
from the spread OF the disease. But the necessity
for importing larger quantities OF Eastern silk at
greatly increased cost seriously aggravaes the mo-
Notary arrangement occasioned by the extraordna.
ny drain of silver which has continued for 80 many
since the Goth of March. to which total about
million more will probably be added on the 10th
instant. Much of this silver is drawn from France,
replaced, 1t is true. to great extent, by goq but
in the purchases of Eastern silk made by that coun
try there is no return of specie direct and the high
price of the commodity of course necessitates the
payment Of an unusually large amount Of csin. 1t
is true that the French crop of silk furnished COM
paratively small portion only of that consumed at
Lyons, but its failure is not the less important,
coupled as it is with similar deficiency in the other
sources of supply; and we look with some anxiety
for the final results Of the grain and wine crops in
the South, failure in which would probably lead to
calamaties of which the history Of Lyons unfor-
tunately offers too many examples.
tn. Atlantic Telegraph Euterprizs.
PHYSICAL GEOGRAPHY OF rHE SxA-rHE0RxS o.
AAURr AND OrHEas-rHK ATLANTIC ocKAE-
TEMPERATURE, DEPTHS AND CURREHrs-EFYsore
VI AfSAAA'A ANAVOo CV1AUNlVATlVNONI nADn Avn
From the Edinburg Review for APRIL
THEORIES OF MAURY AND neutrality-suspicious. or osAs
DEPTHS.
Acquiescing fully in the name and distinction Of Ply
soal Geography Sea- we may add that we oonsids
included under this title. Attached Superintendent
the National Observ aory at Washington he used sh
honorable position with much zeal aud high intelligence
in forwarding objects of singular importance his
country and ours and Of general interest to all nation
Of the world. He published some years ago his VIM
and Current CharSn valuable OF the
volume To his assduty working through and secondst
by his government we owe that conference held at Brus
sells In August 1855 in which found representative
| from England, France, the United States, Russia
Sweden, Denmark, Holland, Belgium and Portugal
! occupied, 1t the very time when war sterniy i'm
pended over Europe, in organizing plans for thos
operative labors on the ocean, those methodica n
PROVIDE for the peaceful interests and progress of
mercia navigation over the globe Austria, Prussia, th
Hanse Towns, Spain and Brazil subsequently offered the
cooperation in the same great scheme. With observa
tons thus multiplied on every sde-the log even Of V
common merchant brig being admitted to its share in u
| work-facts will speedily become numerous enough /
yield results Of the highest certainty ant value III
method of averages now SO potent an aid TO all research
conclusions which no detached observations could reao
Though Lieutenant haury claims all seas for his pr
vince, the larger portion OF his volume is occupied wi,
the great ocean which separates the OLD from the Ne
Word-a very natural effect Of the supreme IMPORTING
greater knowledge thus attained Of ali its physical ph
nomena. 1t will be seen that We have given place on o.
List to another work, by Captain Philippe de Kerhaet,
|
oceanless scientific In its character than that OF Lac
tenant Marry, and less animated and vigorous in u
scrptive part but nevertheless containing much that
great practical value for navigation.
We come with more satisfaction 10 the legitimate obe
OF Lieutenant Maury's work-he great waery empire
the globe the aspects and phenomena Of and sea
their various physical relations well TO the conuen
and islands they encrsle as to The atmosphere incup,6e
ALL and that further relation they bear to the eor
OF human industry, intrepidty and skin, which have
dered the most distant paths Of ocean on and assured
all nations of The earth The Atlantic is the especial obs
Of authors labors; and accordingly nnd the d.
parts Of bis volume occupied almost exclusively with
ocean. Though we may explain the preference,
wholly acquesce In II as preliminary to physical hsto
OF the sea at lage The subject requires to be prehc
by those more general views OF the distribution and re-
tive coIngura;9n OF water and land the globe VIII
form the very foundation Of physical geography, and
fertile In curious and important conclusions. Facts whi6
II stated at ALL loosely and anonymously scatter
over the volume ought to have been put before the read
In some connected FORM as Heating the nature AID mt
ntude of the objects concerned. Lieut. Msury pluns
him at once into mid ocean, without compass or guidaD
over is world of waters greater familiarity with
r,,.nss Of Mumbod, RHrs Won Bech, and other
both model and materials for preliminary cnspter, sa
as We desire for work bearing this title and dealing
objects SO vast and various in kind
We may cursorily state here, In Illustration, few
those general facts, to which author might tly ha
given the priority suggested. Firss the proportion Of
TO land determined as nearly three to one or in 9th
vercd with water. Then the fact Important In ia 81
geston Of disparity In the forces which have acted
the two hemspheres) Of the great excess Of land in
northern hemisphere over that OF the southern being
the ratio Of IL to 4; from which condition arise the
rous results that only l27th par, OF existing land has Ia
diametrcally opposite 10 II In the other hemisphere
that the line of the equator "a II girdles the earth rests
tho ocean for five sixths Of It's length Another mode
estimating the properties and local relations OF land
sea IS obtained by hAlying the globe longtudina
| on the meridian OF the Canaries; when a mu
western half or hemisphere 10 defined than o, the a.
ern The main fact OF the great predominance OF VA
OF The surface Of The globe being thus proved, and
mean DEPTH as We shall see hereafter, approx
termined, reach other conclusions Of nigh interest
almost every part OF physical science. We will not
Only one of these In which geological theory both past
irrespective Is more especially concerned The mean
walton ABOVE the level Of all the land on the globe
islands well as continents mountains as well "a pan.
Is estimated by Humboldt at some whs, less than 70
The mean depth OF the groat oceans OF planet
lated by Iapace from the tides aud other phenomena
be ut least ~ goo feet Thus, allowing full margin for,
rors the entire submergence Of The land might take pp
leaving the central sold Of the earth evcrywhe
iecply covered with waiers-sn eliptcal globe Of
moving still under the governance or the same subii
laws which had before guided la path through surrouI
| Ing space.
| CURRENTS AND rrxrxEArrRx o um oury STREAM
TITS 10 enough TO show what we should have desired
foreground 70 INC topics Q, Lieutenant hsiry's wo
and wc shall follow his example By limiting
remarks si more exclusively " what concerns this gs
o,eau volume rsclf 10 the ''physcai geography OF
sea" Indeed OF author dcvoics his nrs, two chapters
single current OF the Atlantic but this curreni under
name OF the gulf stream includes pin yscai conditions
remarkable, that csnno, blame the priority thus CIV
| 70 It's history. To use his own words -
fails and In the mrhues, psts II never overaows
banks and its bottom OF cold water while current
The Gulf Of MEXICO Ia ia fountain and ito mouth
the Arctic Seas. u the Gulf stream There Ia the
Other such majestic Tow Of waters liz
pid hs1 toe Mississippi or the Amazon AMI It's volume
than thousand times greater. la Sr
the DUFF the Caroline OF indigo
distinctly marked that this line OF Junction with
common vale. be traced b. The eye Omen one
Of The vessel may be perceived floating gulf
while the Other haf IN the
the line and such he affinity between these was
and SUCH too the reuciauce speak OF III
OF the gulf stream 10 mnge with the common water Of
"
This eloquent passage delneates, In terms hspp
chosen come OF tho most striking features OF this vond
ul stream But there yet others be noted; and
shall dwell somewhat In detail on a natural phcnomep
thus 70 nsrkabe. one, moreover In viii IN We the poo
OF The British Isles, have direct and momentous inere
as wei In reference se commerce aud navigation TO
certain and various Influences on the climate under VIII
we live.
The general description of the gulf stream apart fr
any present question 10 its sources, n that OF vast
rapid ocean current issuing from the basin Of the Mcxc
Gulf and Caribbean Sea- doubling tho southern
Florida pres sing forwards 10 the northeast in line aim