Peninsula enterprise. [volume] (Accomac, Va.) 1881-1965, 1901-09-14
THE WORLDS BIG ISLANDS.
Balm Land xow Placed Second In
Point of Area.

FOtnt Oh
As recently as 1897 the 'Taschen At
las" of Justice Perthes makes no men
tion of Baffin Land in its enumeration
Of the large Islands Of the world. Bafnh
Land near the east coast OF this conti-
nent. north OF Hudson strait. has long
been represented on many maps as
composed of number OF Islands. II Is
still shown In this way on a NUMBER
of maps now in use. One by one these
supposed islands-Cumberland Island
Fox Land. Meta Incognita. Sussex Is
land and others-have been found TO be
mart of the main island Thus Baf11n
Land has been gradually increasing ih
size on the maps until today -
known to be inferior only to Greenland
In size. The latest edition or the Dess
map Of the polar regions published III
any American atlas. however. sun
shows Cockburn island. which is about
as large as Iceland, as separated from
Bafin Land by wide channel. though
a number of foreign maps show that It
is a part of Baffin Land.
DIR. Robert Bell, the new director OK
the geological survey of Canada, VINO
mapped a long stretch Of the west coast
in 1897, has just published in The Geo
graphical Journal report OF his ex'
plorations. He says that 1t Is the
third largest island in the world, being
only exceeded by Australia and Green
land" AS Australia is now ranked py
nearly all geographers as the smallest
of the continents, Baffin Land VIII un'
doubtedly take its place among the Is
lands as the second in area.
All the best maps Of Baffin Land now
show a great lake region In the central
part Of the southern portion OF the
island. These lakes lie between noun
tain ranges. DR.. Bell says that the two
greatest bodies Of water are larger
than any of the lakes In the whole
peninsula of Labrador, and that they
NAV almost be compared to Lake On
tario in extent. He visited the south
ernmost, Lake Amadjuak, which may
be 100 miles in length by 40 In breadth
in the middle According to Eskimo
accounts, Lake Amadjuak discharges
porthward into Lake Mettllling by q
short river. without rapids, the natives
passing from one lake 10 another IN
their kyaks. Lake MettilliDg Is per-
hans 14O miles long and 60 miles wide,
and it's waters reach the sea through
a large and rapid river 80 or 90 miles
long that has q descent OF about hye
feet to the mile.
The conspicuous honor Of being the
largest island In the world has been
held by quite a number OF Islands at
various stages of geographical knowl-
edge. School children were taught Tor
many years that Australia was the
largest island. Then Australia came
properly to be regarded as one OF the
continental masses, and Borneo took
its place as the largest island. Less
than 20 years ago 1t was discovered
that New Guinea was larger than
Rorneo. and so the latter Island TOOK
second place. When Perry practically
outlined the northern coast OF Green
land early In the last decade, geogra-
pliers began to think that they had
overlooked an important section OF the
earth's surface, and so they placed
Greenland at the head of the list OF
islands. At last Baffin Land looms up
az an island 1905 statute miles In
length, with breadth varying from
200 to 500 miles, the average being
3O5 miles. Its area is, therefore.
about 100000 square miles. In other
words. the island is larger than the
, state of Texas by about 10000 square
miles. or about ten times as large as
, either Scotland or Ireland. Though II
, takes its place as second in the list OF
I, islands. Baffin Land appears to be OF
, no great value since 1t is composed, as
far as we know, of barren rocks partly
covered with Ice. -,
The IL largest Islands in the world
in order Of size are: Greenland, Bar
fin Land, New Guinea, Borneo, Mads
' gascar, Sumatra, Nippon (the larges'
island Of Japan, Great Britain, Cele'
{ hes. New Zealand South island), Java
!. and Cuba.-Kansas City Journal.