Publisher's Synopsis
This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can usually download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1908 edition. Excerpt: ... CHAPTER III. THE LEADING ROUTES OF OCEAN COMMERCE. Op vessel tracks upon the world ocean there is an innumerable and increasing multitude. Any one of several hundred ports may from time to time be visited by a vessel from any other of these ports. This movement over a certain track may be isolate, occasional, or regular. Even the regular trade routes amount to hundreds, passing in all directions across all oceans between the frigid zones, and some routes invade even a portion to the Arctic Ocean. -* The routes of the ocean, like those of the land, consist of trunk lines and branches or feeders, which, leaving the main ocean thoroughfares, reach out to the islands or to the ports of the more isolated arms, gulfs, and bays that indent the continents. These trunk routes comprise the real circulatory system through which passes the greater part of the commerce of all nations. The advantage of location possessed by the trunk routes causes them to draw to themselves through their feeders the great majority of vessels traversing the ocean. The number of ocean routes has been more than doubled during the latter half of the nineteenth century by the use of the steamer. This newer type of vessel rarely followed the older route that had sufficed when wind and sail were the sole dependence of the navigator. The sailing vessel must depend upon winds, weather, currents, and tides, and in order to take advantage of these factors it is often necessary to make detours to catch favorable conditions or to avoid the danger of being blown upon the shore. The steamer, with greater power of guidance and always desiring to save time and fuel, goes as nearly as possible in straight lines. Hence the two types of vessels rarely follow the same track, and there...
