IX. THE BLACK SEA.
| Route | Page | |
|---|---|---|
| [82]. | From Constantinople to Constantza | [561] |
| 83. | From Constantinople to Odessa | [563] |
| 84. | From Odessa to Batum | [568] |
| Yalta, 569. | ||
| 85. | From Batum to Constantinople | [571] |
The Black Sea (Turk. Kara Denis; Russ. Chornoye More; p. xxxiv), the Pontus Euxinus of the ancients, sometimes deserves its name for the dark-blue hue of its waters, which is markedly different from the blue of the Mediterranean. Its area, nearly equal to that of the Baltic, amounts to 163,689 sq. M., without including the 14,519 sq. M. of the Sea of Azov (p. xxxiv) which is united with the Black Sea by the narrow Straits of Kertch (p. [570]) and separated from the shallow Gulf of Odessa (p. [564]) by the Crimean Peninsula. The basin proper of the Black Sea is a huge depression, falling away rapidly from its margin to its centre, where it reaches a depth of ca. 7365 ft. Its flow and ebb are not perceptible. Owing to the great rivers it receives its surface-water is but slightly salt (1.8 per cent), but the deep water is more saline (2.2 to 2.3 per cent). The bottom is coated with black mud impregnated with sulphuretted hydrogen and is therefore entirely destitute of animal life. On warm summer nights the phosphorescence of the water is very observable. As in the Mediterranean, the vessels are often followed by dolphins.
During almost the whole of summer gentle N. and N.E. winds, with a clear sky, prevail in the S.W. part of the Black Sea. At other seasons the wind is very variable. The N.W. and W. winds often bring fog, which makes the entrance of the Bosporus difficult. In winter and about the time of the equinox dangerous storms from the S. and S.E. are by no means rare.