The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1875-09-30
cousrAscr ov rHn ocEAx lmvEL.

AD~ AtAte4AEsa AAN GNA4N~AasAtA " A@N
eArshs orast wsre already recognized by
he Philosophers Of antiqaisy. Aristotle
foasd u necessary 10 correct soma pbiloa-
ophers of hls day. who imagined that the
sursAcs of The ocean wAs becoming lover
by the RradnAl drying op Of the water.
tie saysg sOnly those OF Barrew Views
aud small experience attEibuts local
changes 20 an ovsrnowing Of the whole
globe. In support Of their vlsWs, they
lhay bring forward the drying-up Of seaa
and tho existence OF land where formerly
IL was not aud give aHthsntie facts, from
which, however, thsy deduce false con.
elusions. Il is true that csrtAin spota,
heretofore covered with water, noe form
certain portions Of the continent; but the
eontrary ls also the eAae, aud any onea
who ssudIoasly examines the faets will
tind that the sea has Invaded and sub.
merged several parts. Such 10 the eKplas
nation OF Deacalion's food, the ravsges
Of which we're more especially feli in
Greece, and which, among other provln-
ces, was most terribly felt In aneient HsL
las, aG that time inhabited by the selles.
and BY the people named Greeks, but
now called the Hellenes."
So far Aristotle. Hts theory evidently
was that the amount Of water 10 the
ocean, and therefore the level OF lie sur
face, is constant, bat that the land 10 a.
cending In one spot and descending In
another. The latter IL most forcibly II.
lustra,ed by the historical accounts OF
ths Straits of Gibralter, which are evil
IDENTIFY, ss we'll ~ the British Channel,
conquest Of tho ocean over the gradually
sinking of the land. Avicnus quotes .
measurement, on the authority Of De-
mon OF Amphipolis, which (reduced TO
our unit, the nnit, the mile) makes the
width Of the Strait at the narrowest
place not quite three miles. Then he
quotes another measurement, made by
Euctamon Of Athens, WHO found Il four
miles. Next We find that Scymmes Of
Chic measured II, In the year i4s before
our era, and found 1t thirteen miles at
the Atlantic outlet, between Spartel and
Trafalgar, which now 10 twenty-six miles
in width. Turanius Gracilis, about fifty
years before our era, gives the width Of
the Darrowest place, from Mellaria In
Spain, to Cape Blanco In Africa, as fonr
and one-half miles. Strabo gives the
greatest breadth As nearly seven miles,
while Pliny, who had been in Spain, and
had visited the Strait, gives II seven and
one.half miles for the narrowest part, and
ten miles for the widest part. Bishop
Victor measured the distance In the year
OF our era 500, and found IL to be twelve
miles; while the present Spanish meas-
urement is fourteen miles.
Besides the evidence Of gradual Wild
ening aud probable sinking Of the land Of
both shores, we find the positive evi-
dence of the sinking In the account OF
Avienus, who speaks Of the two wooded
isles in Fnld-channel, on which were built
q temple and altars In honor OF Hercules.
These were the celebrated pillars Of Her
cules OF the ancient anthors. The Garth.
agenians were obliged to build fat bot
toned vessels, 90 as TO be able 10 sal
over tho shallow waters Of the Straits,
according to Avienus, who also says thai
Hannibal had reported that there vas :
bottomless and boundIess sea farther 70
the west, which, - 1t corresponds to The
Atlantic ocean, puts the locality intended
TO be described without doubt.
: Pliny visited the Straits, and speaks o.
low lying island, covered with wild OIL
ives, and upon which we're the remaini
of the temple Of Hercules. Pomponiul
Mala, spaniard, living several eentu
ries later, aud to whom these regions ar.
very familiar, describes the Straits 81
channel broken by namber of small is
lands. At present they have ell disap
peared, and the largest ships sail freel,
over any portion of these waters.
IN 1928 there happened very low tide
and on this occasion the remains Of th,
famous temple OF Hercules were distinct
D ly seen In the oceanic part OF the Strait
J and some souvenirs were even obtaine,
for preservation.
D lgnacio Lopez de Ayler mentions, Il
7 his history of Gibrslter, that the sea Gov
ers the greater part of the land on whic
stood the ancient city of Mellaria. Il
the bay of GibraIter, the sea has enguli
ed q part Of Csrteis and Algesirai
J, Nine miles west of Terifs was the city q
q Belon, ct the shore of the Strait, and thi
n is now engulfed, while the traces OF II
'l existence are seen below the waves.
Lastly, Col. James, in his history q
the Straits Of Hercules, mentions tbs
during an earthquake, the sight of CaIs
disappeared, together with the small q
lands opposite the city Of Bactes, nes
Tarifa; and a rock named La Perle, one
an island, sank and 10 nov covered wi,
!. twelve feet Of water in low tide.
The gradual sinking Ia this neigbbo
:. hood 10 balanced BY upheayals In 9th.
= regions, which are very marked, we'll q
!. tAblisbed By observation, and careful
measured 10 the northern part OF Swede
and Norway, where the see, especial
the northera part OF the Baltic, appea
: 10 retire from year TO year, and ieav'
= villages, formerly situated at the shor
I, few miles inland. The Azores sre n
ing, 50 IL the island Of Saniorin, and Il
I.-A--l. IL.