UNSUNNED. DEPTHS.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 91, 10 January 1908, Page 9

UNSUNNED. DEPTHS.

iHE:BTOLEMAIC'CONCEPTION;OF THE OCEAN.

!':texisting data.:staito that.the average dopth •• :of'-'the Arctic and Antarctic Oeeanß is a . G3O fatliqins. The Pacific: Ocean has an -, average ,depth- of, 2500>ifathoms f or; 15,001) . feet;;';The,.lndian Ocean,ranks next, with ah average depth of 2300 fathoms.; next- the Atlantic arid Southern Oceans, inth 2200;fath- : , bms*apiccb,'.''.'So much"'for:averages..... vv , ,v> But the • 323,5Qp,Q00. .miles of water .wlijch,' -the whole, .ocean .'is ostimatal'.to contain .is . -'not'equally apportioned. " As against, the 630 Y fathoms of-, the 'Arctic's;.average, wb.iind it depth of just; on 31,000 feet "in the ' South , I'aciiic,' aiid nearly'27,ooo' feet in the' North Pacific. There are : ui\plumbed'depths in the v\ntaretic' ; -'Vhcro- Ross'■ failed to touch ' bottom at ; 24;000 feet. -. : Tho Challenger' expedition did riot exhaust the store; of knowledge which the'sea holds for its investigation. The Prince of Monaco has siiice; theii'discovered-that there are in > the' world waters forms of life of-which we woro quite unaware; that great creatures exist -far below' 1 the surface,'' incapkbhrof ' 'diving in a higher level, incapable of sinking to the iutlei most depths','which burst oil Doling 'brought- to light; which woxild be.pnished , to doath : if-they swam 'lower thau tiki dopth to- which countless ages have accustomed . them. ' Man does not, quickly learn his way hbqnt ■■ uncharted seas; he'never did.'- It'took foil> i teen 1 centuries: to correct the error of the ■ Ptolemaic -schcel.: : The Ptolomaic coucop--tion " was that the"'Atlantic 'and''lndian ■ Oceans were enclosed seas, like tho Mediterranean, -and :held that the east : and wosfc points of..theworld approached so close to ■ each "othor that': a ship sailing from Spain niiglit easily roach tho eastern coast of Asia. ■ It was in this belief that Columbus sailol, and' that .-Magellan, discovered, nn unknown ocean, 55,000,000 squaro; miles - in extent. . "Evoning .Standard.-'