New-York tribune., 1922-08-06

angles and followed the southern prong it
would guide US straight as the ''crow flies"
to the ice barrier Of the Antarctic. We would
be SO close to the white lands that If we could
scale the 12,000-foot cliff we could peer across
the dazzling wastes Of snow and ice about
the South Pole
But we will keep on our way around the
stupendous seni-circle. Soon we notice that
we are beginning to climb. By crossing to the
"inside track" overlooking the basin, we can
sight, far ahead and to the left, the only great
depression in the Indian Oceans floor Nearer
and nearer we come and deeper and deeper it
grows until in the turn of the ridge we skirt
its very edges looking downward from dizzy
height of nearly three miles. Compared with
the profound deeps Of the Pacific it is only q
great chasnl. But at that it covers an area
as great Alaska.
Still climbing, the coast Of Asia is reached,
and yet as far we can see, the ascent seems
to rise interminably before us. But UP and
up we journey until finally we have gained
the heights of the plateau of Thibet &c, 900 feet
above the coast we left. And not yet have we
reached our ultimate goal, for $4,000 feet
above US the summit of Mount Everest beckons
us on At last stand on "the top of the
route around the Indian Ocean.
The lowest known sea depth is twelve miles
beneath us as we stand on the crest of the
Hinalayan range; Mount Everest is 29,0o2
feet high and the Planet Deep, off Mindanao
one of the Philippine Islands, is 32,111 feet
deep. Of those dark impenetrable valleys the
deepest are in the Pacific. To prepare US for
the magnitude of the Pacific country, with its
limo halo md ax,yi1l
study the topography Of the Caribbean Sea.
There is no other sea bottom like it in the
world for it is replica of the Pacific, while
inland seas are usually but shallow basins.
The Caribbean Sea is closely allied to the Pa
fic, because it was part Of it until the Isthnlus
of Panama finally emerged to isolate it once
and for all. When we include it in our tour Of
submarine lands we may consider it our first
glimpse of the limitable grandeurs Of the
Pacfc's scenery. Here is a stupendous fold
in the crust Of the ocean floor, submarine
mountains and a canyon which makes the
Grand Canyon only gorge.
Bartlett's Deep extends about seven hundred
miles, right across the Honduran Sea. 1t be-
gins at the Gulf of Honduras and ends opposite
the southern end of Cuba, at the foot of
mighty submarine declvty which rises above
ti0 IOaSb lAie dS tiAc AaHSS oL uIOuHLdlllS C2leQ
the Sierra Maesra. 1t reaches depth of more
than three and three-quarters miles. For sea
this is most remarkable, for in no part of the
English Irish channels or the North Sea
could be found declivity more than six hun
dred feet deep. And an inspection Of the seas
about the Arctic Circle would show no great
depths.
Let US imagine ourselves standing on Swan
Island, which rests on bank, roughly ten
miles long and four miles wide Walking in
northerly direction we will go for two miles
down hardly perceptible slope. strewn with
clumps OF coral rock and coral sand; until
suddenly we find ourselves at the brink of
precipice, which falls away in slope after slope
Of slippery ooze. We might attempt the de-
scent by skiing breathlessly to the bottom.
But it is probable that the giddy prospect will
discourage explorations in that direction.
Falling away beneath US, right and left, and
far beyond our furthest range Of vision, ex.
tends the grandest, deepest and most awful
valley to be found in all the worlds inland
seas. Eighty miles away In front of us the
stupendous Caymsn-Mysteriosa ridge rises
like long, gray barrier wall, reaching for sew
eral hundreds Of miles in northeasterly
direction toward the. southern point of Cuba.
Continued on poge ssven)