Collier's New Encyclopedia

A complete general encyclopedia of 1921 — the world as it was understood just after the Great War, from Aachen to Zwingli, across twelve volumes and six thousand pages.

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Scylla

and CHARYBDIS (kar-ib' dis), the former a famous promontory and town of southern Italy, at the entrance to the narrow strait separating Pacific (from Arctic Circle to 40° Italy from Sicily. The promontory is 200 feet high, projecting into the sea, and at its base is the town. The navigation at this place was looked upon by the ancients as attended with immense danger. At the present day the risk is not more than attends the doubling of an ordinary cape. Charybdis (modern name Galofaro) is a celebrated whirlpool in the Straits of Messina, nearly opposite the entrance to the harbor Messina in Sicily, and in ancient writings always mentioned in conjunction with Scylla.

The navigation of this whirlpool is, even at the present day, considered to be very dangerous.

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