BALTIC SEA. The denomination of the Baltic, applied to the inland sea which forms the subject of this article, is first found in the work of Adam of Bremen, who was canon of that city at the close of the eleventh century, entitled Chorographia Scandinavia. The etymology of this name has given rise to many con jectures. The Swedes derive it from the Scandina vian word Bar*, a girdle, because its waters encircle the land ; the Prussians from the Sclavonian or Let tonian word Balt, white, from its being frozen part of the year, or from Baltus, one of their kings ; and by others it is derived from Ba/tea, the name of an island mentioned by Pytheas, a merchant of Mar seilles, who, in the second or third century before the Christian era, is supposed to have sailed as far north as this sea. In the countries which bound it, Its ancient name was Variatzkole More, or the Sea of Variaghi ; by the modern Russians it is called Bal. tiskoe More; and by the Swedes, Danes, and Ger mans, the East Sea.
I. The Baltic is entered from the British or North ern Ocean by the Scagerac, Cattegat, Sound, and Great and Little Belts. The Scagerac extends from the Naze of Norway and the north-west point of Jutland, to the Gulf of Gottenburgh and north point of Jutland, or Scagen Point, better known to English seamen by the name of the Scaw. The nar rowest part of the Scagerac is 19 leagues. The Cattegat extends from Gottenburgh and the Scagen Point, to the Sound and Belts. The greatest depth ..of the Cattegat is 35 fathoms ; the depth decreases as it approaches the Sound. The Sound is the chan nel between the coast of Sweden and the islarid of Zealand. A mass of rocks on the Swedish shore, dis tinguishes its entrance from the Cattegat; its termina tion is between Falsterbo in Sweden, and Cape Stevens in Zealand. Its narrowest part is between Elsineur and Helsingborg, where, measured on the ice, it is 2840 yards. Between Copenhagen and Landscrona, it is between six and seven leagues across. Its greatest depth, where narrowest, is 19 fathoms. Towards the Danish shore, at the entrance of the Sound from the Cattegat, its depth is 16 fathoms ; near Copenhagen, not more than four fathoms. Near the Swedish shore, there is a gradual accumulation of sand. The
, Great Belt, between the islands of Zealand and Fu nen, is between seven and eight leagues broad, at its broadest place, between Corscer in Zealand, and Nyberg in Funen. The island Sprosce lies nearly in the middle of it. The coasts are, in gene ral, low and sandy ; the greatest depth is 22 fathoms. The Little Belt, between Funen and the coast of Jutland, is, in its greatestbreadth, about seven miles, and, where narrowest, about three quarters of a mile. In general, the shores are little elevated. Its great est depth is 27 fathoms.
The Baltic extends 240 leagues from Torneo to the island of Wollin, on the coast of Pomerania. Its north extremity is situate in the latitude of 65, 51, and its southern extremity in 53, 30. It goes first in an easterly direction as far as Memel, a length of 300 miles, with a mean breadth of 140. It then goes north to the Aland isles, a length of 850 miles, with a mean breadth of 70. Its northern portion forms the Gulf of Bothnia, which Is 150 leagues in length. Its greatest breadth is 162 miles. The archipelago of Aland lies at its entrance from the Baltic, and forms three channels between the coast of Sweden and these islands. The breadth of the channel is between eight and nine leagues; This is called the Sea of Aland by the Swedes. The space between Aland and the coast of Finland is ' filled with numerous islands, among which are two channels. The lower part of the Gulf, from Aland to Umeo, is called by the Swedes the Sea of Both nia. Between Umeo and Wass, the channel is first narrowed by a number of rocky islands, forming a strait eight or nine leagues wide. From hence the Gulf widens very considerably, and to its head is called by the Swedes the Gulf of Bothnia. Its great est ascertained depth is 50 fathoms. On the east, the Baltic forms the Gulf of Finland, which is 801 leagues long, and from 11 to 22 broad. Its entrance is between Spinthamer Point in EsthOnia, aid Han gm Head in Finland. Its greatest depth is 60 fa thoms, which, in some places, decreases to five fa thoms. A great number of rocky islands, and reefs, many of them level with the water, render the navi-• gation of this sea extremely dangerous.