The Kansas herald of freedom., 1858-09-04
LAWRENCE, KANSAS, SEPT. A. 1858.
The Geography of the Sea.


Lieutenant Maury has made many
contributions to science, which will cause
his name to be remembered for years
to come. In his work, "The Geogra-
ply of the Sea-" he states facts of great
interest, and draws deductions of the most
far reaching consequence. He states that
the deepest place in the sea is supposed
to be between the parallels of IS deg.
and 40 deg. of north latitude, immedi-
ately to the south of Grand Banks
Soundings have revealed that the ocean
has not SO great depth as it was once
supposed to have. The greatest depth
which has been reached is twenty-five
thousand feet, or four miles and three
quarters. As regards the saltness OF the
sea, it is said that taking the average
depth of the ocean at two miles, and its
average saline strength at three and half
per cent, its salt would cover to the thick
ness of one mile, an area of seven millions
of square miles, all of which passes into
the interstices of sea water without in
crsasing its bulk.
The rivers of the Southern Hemisphere
are supplied with their waters by the
Northeast trade winds; but as the evapo-
rating surface-that is, the area of sea
over which they blow-contains, between
the parallels of and 20 degrees North,
only twenty-five millions of square miles,
while the evaporating surface in the
Southern Hemisphere is seventy-fve mil
lions, the quantity Of rain which falls in
the latter, is comparatively small. The
mean annual fall of rain, which is evap-
Grated principally from the seas of the
Torrid Zone, is estimated at about five
feet. If we suppose it all to come from
that zone, i: would be equivalent to the
waters of lake twenty-four thousand
miles long, three thousand miles broad,
and sixteen feet deep; and this water is
annually raised up into the sky, and
brought down again by the exquisite
though complex machinery of the atmos-
phere (which never wears out nor breaks
down, nor fails to do its work at the right
time, and in the right way"
Under the head of Drift Currents, Lieu
tenant Maury describes commotion in
the water, called "Tide Rips" revealing
a conflict of tides or currents. They are
generally found near the equatorial calms,
starting up without any wind, and moving
along at the rate of sixty miles an hour
with roaring noise, "as if they would dash
over the frail bark, helplessly Tapping its
sails against the masts." The other un-
explained movements of the sea, the name
of Bores and Edgres has been given
The Bores of India, of the Bay of Fun
dy, and of the Amazon, are the most re-
markable. They are tremendous tidal
waves, which roll in periodically from the
sea, engulfng deer, horses, and many
other wild beasts that frequent every
part of the beach. The name Eagre is
given to the Bore of Tsien- Tang river
1t attains its greatest magnitude opposite
to the city of Hangchau, one of the bust
est in Asia; and when it appears, it is
announced with loud shouts from the
sailors, drowned in its noise of thunder
All work comes to stand. A wall like
one of chalk, or rather cataract, four OF
five miles across and thirty feet high, ad.
vances with velocity of twenty-five
miles an hour. 1t passes up the river il
an instant with diminishing velocity, oc.
casionally reaching point 80 miles from
the city. The rise and fall of the wave
is sometimes forty feet at Hang chau, anC
it is supposed to be produced by pecu
liar configuration of the river and it'
estuary.
Recent events have given new interes
to every thing that relates to the sea; anC
to those persons who wish to peruse a worl
of rare merit on the subject, we commend
the volume of Lieutenant Maury. The
principal foreign reviews have made i
the basis of elaborate essays, and The fam
of the author has extended to all parts o
the civilized world. He has brought new
honors upon his country, and gained
name among the most noted men of tn,
times.-Boston Transcript.