American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1873-04-26

| half miles in depth, which is scarcely
probable. But though little is known of the
greatest depths of the oceans, we do know
that their bottoms are of unequal depth,
and that they contain mountains as well as
vast rolling plains; and Mr.. Recius takes
advantage of such soundings rs have been
made to illustrate IN a striking manner the
inequalities of the bottom. If, he re
marks, the waters of the Mediterranean
were suddenly lowered about 40 fathoms,
it would be divided into three distinct
sheets of water: Italy would be joined to
Sicily, Sicily would he united by IN 18th
mus TO Africa, the Darianelles and the
Bosphorus would be closed, but the out
let of Gibraltar would reuaain in free
communication with the Atlantic Ocean.
If the level were lowered about
inc, and the Adriatic would who'll
ly disappear, or only leave in
their beds unimportant pools: the remain
der of the Mediterranean would lac divid-
ed into several seas like the Caspian, either
isolated, or communicating with each
other 10y narrow channels, and the terIni-
nal promontory of Europe would be join
ed by the isthmus of Gibraltar 20 the
mountains of Africa. A depression of
about LILO tathoms would leave nothing
but three inland lakes: to the west, Il tri-
angular basin occupying the center of the
depression between France and Algeria;
in the middle, long cavity extending
from Crete to Sicily; and eastward, n hol-
low lying in front of the Egyptian coast.
The greatest depth of the Mediterranean,
exceeding 1900 fathoms, lies to the north
of the Syrtes, almost in the symmetrical
center of the basin.
Again, the British Channel, that least
agreeable of seas to good Americans wish
ing to reach Paris from London, is mar
row arm of the sea, which may be consid-
cred as a mere accident of the earth's sur
face, or kind Of maritime trench, so in
considerable is its depth compared with
that of the ocean. In order to form a true
notion of the depth of the Channel com
pared with its width, one must imagine a
miniature of this sea drawn on a scale of
one yard for two-thirts of a mile, on a.
perfectly horizontal surface. This sheet
of water would not have less than J41
yards of length, and its width would vary,
according 10 the coast-lines, between 36
and 240 yards. And yet, Notwithstanding
this considerable surface, the greatest
depth would be less than two inches at
the entrance. In the deepest hollow of
:tiire Channel, between the hillock repre-
senting Start Point and that of the Sept
lies, it would be less than two and half
inches. "A sparrow could hop this NINA
tire sea,
Considered as a whole, the North Allan
tic is depression whose sides descend
gradually toward central hollow situated
between the coasts of the United States,
the Bermudas, and the Bank of Newfound-
land. A fall of the waters of less than ITO
fatloms would reveal the submarine
groundwork upon which France, Spain
and the British Isles rest This is indeed
the true foundation of the European con-
tinent, for Immediately beyond this base
ment, which forms the extreme angle of
the Old World, the bed of the sea at an
iuclination Of about eight degrees, de
sends gradually from 10 fathoms to
1,64O and 2,1S7 fathoms below the waves.
A fall in its level of 1904 fathoms would
diminish the width of the Atlantic more
than half would leave the Gulf of Mexico
completely dry, and leave only an elon-
gated lake in the central part of the Car
ribean Sea. If the present level were low
cred by 2,1S7 fathoms, a continent sepa-
rated from Europe and America by two
narrow channels, and extending over a
space of from about ], $50 to 1,S60 miles,
would stretch into the torrid zone; and, by
a remarkable coincidence, would affect
that peninsular conformation and south
erly direction presented by Greenland,
Scandinavia, Spain, Italy, Greece, Arabia,
India, and the three great continents of
the South. A lowering of $3.50 fathoms
would completely unite Newfoundland to
Ireland, and consequently form a bridge
between the Old and New Worlds. Even
of the central Atlantic there would remain
only narrow Mediterranean sea in
front of the Antilles and Guiana. Finally,
let the waters be lowered by 4,375 faith
oms, and the northern part of the Atlantic
would be reduced to Il small triangular
Caspian situated between the Azores,
the Bank of Newfoundland, and the Ber-
mudas.
Though the Pacific Ocean is scarcely
1515 miles in depth, it is known to be in
one part nearly nine miles deep, or so
deep that two of the highest mountains on
our globe might be piled one on top of the
other and sunk into it, and yet scarcely
emerge above the surface. The depth of
the Pacific has not only been ascertained
by numerous soundings, but Professor
Franklin Bache calculated, from the rapid
ity with which the great tidal wave ac-
complaining the earthquake of 1854 in Ja-
pan crossed the ocean to California, that
the Pacific has, between the shores of ia
pan and the United States, mean depth
of about 2,342 fathoms.
The highest part of the continents raised
above the surface of the waters is of much
less elevation than the depth of the sea;
and we can estimate the land above the
level of the sea at only about a fortieth
part of the mass of waters, and as much of
this land is unavailable by mankind, we
get here some notion of the very limited
use which we are, as yet, able to make of
the planet we inhabit-Hdrper's Maya
zine.