ENGLISH CHANNEL ( Fr. La Manche, the sleeve). A reach of the North Atlantic Ocean separating England from France. and commonly called TIE CHANNEL, the most important marine thoroughfare in the world (Nap: Europe, C 3). It is connected with the North Sea by the Strait of Dover, 20 miles wide at its narrowest point. From this strait it extends west-southwest fo•280 miles, and joins the Atlantic Ocean at the Chops, between the Scilly Isles and Ushant Isle, where the breadth is 100 miles. The average breadth is 70 miles: the greatest breadth is 140 miles—from Sidmouth to Saint-Malo. The average depth of the eastern half reaches about 200 feet: at the Strait of Dover the depth varies from 6 to 120 feet, while in the western half the depth averages about 300 feet, and in places even exceeds Soo feet. A coarse gravel covers the bottom. The Channel occupies about 80,000 square miles, and contains the Scilly Isles, Channel Islands, Isle of Wight, Ushant Isle, and many islets and rocks, especially oil' the mast of Brittany. The Seine is the largest river which flows into it. Pilchard,
mackerel, and other fish, as well as oysters, abound. The English coast line, extending from Dover to Land's End, is 390 miles long, and the French, extending from Calais to Ushant. :WO miles. The chief English seaports on the Chan nel are Falmouth, Plymouth, Southampton, Portsmouth, Brighton, Folkestone, and Dover; the chief French ports are Cherbourg. Havre, Dieppe, Boulogne, and Calais. High tides, with a rise of from 37 to 42 feet, prevail on the south shore. The phenomenon of double high water is seen between Poole and Southampton, the tide coming in first by the Solent. and again by Spit head three hours later. The sea is generally rough and unpleasant for travel, owing to the contrary currents. The Oceanus Britannicus of the Romans, the Channel has been the scene of many important historical events, including the destruction of the Spanish Armada, the battle of La Hogue, the fight between the Kearsarge and the Alabama, etc.