Page:The New International Encyclopædia 1st ed. v. 13.djvu/299

MEDINET HABU. 271 MEDITEKKANEAN SEA. Close to the temple of Ranicst's III. lie the buildings of tlie smallor temple. Between two nylons — the outer built by Ptolemy X.. the inner by Tahnrka — is a small chapel (32 feet long), biiilt by Xectanebo. The inner pylon forms the entrance to a court, at the upper end of which is the temple built in the Eighteenth Dynasty by Hatasu and Thothmes III. It consists of a cham- ber surrounded by a colonnaded portico, and adorned with reliefs and inscriptions. To the rear lie six smaller chambers, in one of which is a shrine for a divine image. Consult: De- saiption de VEgypte (Paris, 180!)-29) ; Wilkin- son. Tupography uf Thebes (London, 1835) ; Dii- niiehen, Geschivkte des alien Aegyptens (Berlin, 1878). See also Thebes. BTEDING, ma'ding, Osk.r ( 1 820-1903 ) . A Ger- man Udvelist, whose pseudonym wus'Gregor Sama- row.' He was born in Kuiiigsberg, Prussia, studied law, and in 1870 retired from the civil service. From 1873 to 1879 he lived in Berlin, and then at Castle Wohldenberg. and in 1900 set- tled at Charlottenberg. His novels deal mostly with modern histoiy. He wrote, under the pseudonym of 'Samarow,' Um Scepter ttnd Kronen, a cycle (1872-7G) ; Die Romerfahrt der Epigonen (1874; 4th ed. 1S87) ; Hijhen undTiefen (1879-80) ; Krieg oder Frieden (1897) ; and Ein Gespenst (1902). He also wrote under his own name and the pseudonym 'Leo Warren.' More purely historical and biojirajihical are his Ue- moiren CMr Zcitgescliichte (1881-84) ; Erinnerun- gen axis der Zeit der Giiriing und Kliirung ( 1896) ; and Alls vergnngenen Tngen (1896). ME'DIOLATSTUM. llie Latin name of Milan. MEDITERRANEAN" FEVER. See JIalta Fever. MEDITERRANEAN RACE (Lat. mediter- raneus, midland, from mrdius, middle -|- terra, land). That portion of the white or Caucasian division of mankind dwelling now or formerly about the ilediterranean Sea, characterized by long heads and faces, dark brown or black hair, dark eyes, medium stature, slender bodies, and broad noses. It is called Iberian by English ethnologists, Ligurian by the Italians, Ibero-ln- sular or Atlanto-ilediterranean by Deniker, and Ibero-Pictish by Rhys. There are four subraces of the Mediterranean race. In the southwestern portion of Europe, in- cluding Spain and Portugal, and moving onward as far as Iceland and Scotland, were the Iberians (q.v.), who left their name on the Iberian penin- sula. In the middle projection into the ilediter- ranean were the Ligurian sulirace, whose terri- tory stretched westward into Southern France. The eastern peninsula and the isles of Greece were the home of the Pelasgians (q.v.), who moved northwestward through ancient lllyriciiiii into Italy and are supposed to have been of one race with the Hittites (q.v.) of Asia Minor. The Xortlieastern and Xorth .frican subraee may be called in general terms Haniite (q.v.), to which belonged among others the Egyptians and Libyans. Cdusult Sergi, The Mediterranean Rece (London, 1901), with references to his nnmerous writings and the best authorities. MEDITERRANEAN SEA. A great inland sea of the Eastern Hemisphere, .almost entire- ly inclosed by the continents of Europe. Asia, and .Africa, and communicating with the Black Sea by the Dardanelles, the Sea of ilarmora, and the Bosporus ( .Map : Europe, Do). It extends from longitude 3° 21' W. to 30° 10' E.. a distance of 2320 miles. Its breadth dillers widely in dilier- ent parts, the maximum l)readth being 1080 miles. It is connected with the Atlantic by the Strait of Gibraltar. The southern or African coast is comparatively smooth and unindented. The northern or European coast, on the other hand, is extremely broken, with several long peninsulas, deep bays and gulfs, and mauy isl- ands. It aboimds in good harbors, which early conduced to extensive commerce. The Balearic Isles, Sardinia, Corsica, Sicily, Crete, and Cyprus are the largest islands. The Italian peninsula, with Sicily and the extended shallows that lie between Sicily and Tunis, divide the Mediter- ranean into two parts. The depth of the Mediterranean differs greatly in diiierent parts, the maximum depth being 14,400 feet in the eastern basin south of the jMorea, and 12,200 feet iu the western basin east of Sardinia. The depth at the Strait of Gibraltar is less than 1000 fathoms, while fifty miles outside the water shoals to 200 fathoms. The specific gravity and salinity of the water is slightly greater than that of the Atlantic, the proportions being 1.029 to 1.028. The tempera- ture of the surface water in summer is commonly a few degrees higher than that of the Atlantic in the same latitudes, and the temperature at depths is much higher, as is often the case in partly inclosed seas. While the temperature in the greater depths of the Atlantic is very near the freezing point, in the Mediterranean it reaches only 54° to 56° F. In winter the surface tem- peratures do not differ materially. The tides are very slight, at most places being only a few inches in height. In the summer the northeast trades blow over the Mediterranean, while in the winter, with the shifting of the trades, the prevailing winds are westerly. Specially designated winds are the Bora, in the Adriatic, and the Sirocco, blowing over from the .frican desert. The great rivers which Uow into the Mediter- ranean are few in number, the principal ones lieing the Ebro, Rhone, and the Po from Europe, and the Xile from Africa. Into the Black Sea flows much more water, hence there is a constant current from the Black Sea into the Mediter- ranean. From the Atlantic flows a constant .sur- face current into the Mediterranean, due prob- ably to the excess of evaporation over supply in the latter body of w-ater, while there is a lower current flowing in the contrary direction. The chief divisions of the Jlediterranean are known as the Levantine Sea (in the east), the .Egean Sea, Ionian Sea, Adriatic Sea. Tyrrhenian Sea (immediately west of the peninsula of Italy), and Balearic Sea. Of the European sea fishes over 400 species inhabit the Mediterranean Sea, some of which are peculiar to it. It has a greater mtmber of species than the British and Scandinavian seas, but does not nearly so much abound in useful kinds. The sponge, tunny, and sardine fisheries are important on some parts of its coasts. It is rich in red coral, which is procured in great quantity on the coasts of Provence, of the Balearic Isles, and of Sicily, hut particularly on the coasts of Tunis and Tripoli in Africa. The shores of the Mediterranean Sea are in many parts subject to frequent earthquakes. Be- sides the existing active volcanoes of Etna, Vesu-