OCEAN

, the vast collection of salt and navigable water, which encompasses most parts of the earth.

By computation it appears that the Ocean takes up considerably more of what we know of the terrestrial globe, than the dry land does. This is perhaps easiest known, by taking a good map of the world, and with a pair of scissars clipping out all the water from the land, and weighing the two parts separately: by which means it has been found, that the water occupies about two-thirds of the whole surface of the globe.

The great and universal Ocean is sometimes, by geographers, divided into three parts. As, 1st, the Atlantic and European Ocean, lying between part of Europe, Africa, and America; 2d, the Indian Ocean, lying between Africa, the East-Indian islands, and New Holland; 3d, the Pacisic Ocean, or great south sea, which lies between the Philippine islands, China, Japan, and New Holland on the west, and the coast of America on the east. The Ocean also takes divers other names, ac-| cording to the different countries it borders upon: as the British Ocean, German Ocean, &c. Also according to the position on the globe; as the northern, southern, eastern, and western Oceans.

The Ocean, penetrating the land at several streights, quits its name of Ocean, and assumes that of sea or gulph; as the Mediterranean sea, the Persian gulph, &c. In very narrow places, it is called a streight, &c.