Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1886-04-23
CHAPTER /
THE MEpITERRANHAN.

THE Mediterranean is beautiful
above all in two respects harmonious
setting and transparency of light and
atmosphere. Such rs it is, it is al
admirable temperer of man 1t gives
him hard unyielding strength; it pro-
duces the most substantial races"
Mlchelet has said this, and said truly.
But 1t is fortunate for humanity, that
nature, III place of Hercules, has separ-
ated the rock Of Calpe from the rock of
Abyla, to form the Strait of Gibraltar.
1t must even be admitted, in spite OF
the assertions of most biologists. that
this strait has always existed. Without
It, no Mediterranean. For, in truth
evaporation carries off from this sea
three times rs much water as is furnished
1t by tributary rivers, and in default of
this Atlantic inflow, which diffusing
through the strait regenerates it, it
would have been these many centuries
back, no more than IA kind of Dead Sea,
instead of the l. wing Sea par excellence.
1t was in one Of the deepest retreats
and least known, of this vast Medter-
ranean Sea. that Count Matthias Sandorf
until the wished for hour until the
entire fufillment of ms work, he should
remain Doctor Antekirtt- had secluded
himself in order to profit by all the
benefits which his supposed death had
given him.
There are two Mediterraneans on the
terrestrial globe, one in the old world,
the other III the new The American
Mediterranean is the Gulf of Mexico it
covers not less than four million and
half kilometres If the Latin Mediter-
ranean having but an area Of two million.
eight hundred eighty-five thousand, five
hundred and twenty-five square kilo-
metres, be but the half of the other il is
more varied i'll general dcs IN, richer in
harbors and distinct CULTS, IL large
hydrographical Subdivisions which have
merited the name of seas. Such as the
Greek Archipelago, the Sea of Crete
above the island of that name, the Lib
van Sea below, the Adriatic between
Italy, Austria Turkey and Greece, the
IoniaD. which washes Corfu, Zante,
Cephalonia and other isles, the Tyrrhen-
ian, in the west of Italy, the Aeolienne
around the Liparis the Gulf OF Lyons
following out Provence, the Gulf of
Genoa indenting the Liqurias, the Gulf
Of Gabes following out the Tunisian
shores, the two Syrtes of such profound
depth between Cyrene and Tripoi, in
the African continent
What secret place in or about this
sen, of which many landing is still but
little known, had Doctor Antekirtt
chosen ~ dwelling placer There are
islands by hundreds islets by thousands
on the periplus of this immense basin.
One would seek in vain to count its capes
and coves. How many people of differ
ent race, customs and political state
throng forward to this sea-board where
the story of humanity has left its imprint
for more than twenty centuries past
Frenchmen, Italians, Spaniards, Aus
TRANS. Ottomans, Greeks, Arabians,
Egyptians, Tripolitans Tunisians,
Algerians, Moroccoans, even English
men. al Gibraltar Malta and Cyprus.
Three great continents embrace 1t with
their shores Europe, Asia and Africa.
Where then, had Count Matthias Sandorf,
become Doctor Antekirtt-a name dear
10 Oriental lands sought the remote
dwelling place, in which the programme
of his life should work itself out. This
was what Pierre Bathory was bound to
learn ere long.
After opening his eyes for an instant,
lac had fallen back completely exhausted,
as ipsensible as when the doctor hadl
him for dead in the house Of Ragusa.
II was then that the doctor had sue
ceeded In one of those physiologic
experiments in which the will plays Sc
important part, and of which the
phenomenal are no longer open 10 doubt.
Gifted with a singular power of mag
netism. he had been able, without the
aid of magnesium light or even bril-
liant point Of metal, simply 10y the pene-
ration of his look, 10 east the dying man
into a hypnotic state, and substitute his
own will for Pierre's Pierre, enfeebled
by the loss OF blood, had lost the very look
of life. and had fallen asleep to wake
when the doctor wished. But his life
was well nigh spent, and now 1t had tC
be revived. 1t was difficult task, and
required the most minute care, and al
a.. -,..o,,x,oa ~ tina medical art Thf