122 ANNUAL 31EC0RD OF SCIENCE AND INDUSTRY. 



concludes, from the consistent independent testimony of nu- 

 merous commanders, that there is every reason to believe 

 that there has existed in most recent times, between the Cu- 

 ban coast and the main Gulf Stream moving eastward, a 

 counter-current, hitherto but imperfectly recognized, and not 

 mentioned in sailing dh'ections and charts. To the unusual 

 strenofth of this counter-current he attributes the recent loss 



CD 



of vessels, and suggests that it certainly demands the study 

 of hydrographers. The eifect of this anti-Gulf-Stream is to 

 push the axis of the main stream to the north and northwest, 

 closer to the Florida coast. Its existence is exj^lained by 

 the increasing volume of the north branch of the equatorial 

 stream as it flows between the Bahamas and Cuba; the con- 

 flict of these two streams explains the very contradictory ac- 

 counts of various captains and others, who have at different 

 times reported sometimes strong southern and western cur- 

 rents, but ofttimes none at all, or even easterly ones. 



COLD CURRENT OFF TUE COAST OF BRAZIL. 



The recent operations of the Challenger, according to the 

 London Athenceum, seem to indicate that the inhabitants of 

 the deep water exist without any regard to geographical 

 boundaries, while near the surfoce the distribution is regu- 

 lated by the temperature of the sea. A deep-water cold cur- 

 rent of only 32.5 Fahr. was discovered running to the north- 

 ward, along the Brazilian coast. No soundings exceeding 

 2500 fathoms were obtained north of the equator, between 

 South America and Africa. The Challenger sailed for the 

 Cape of Good Hope September 25. 15 A, October 25, 1873, 

 531. 



"the avinds of the globe." 



The publication of the extensive work, under the above 

 title, that has for the past ten years been in course of prepa- 

 ration by Professor Coffin, will not be delayed by the un- 

 timely death of the lamented meteorologist. The prepara- 

 tion of the numerical tables w^ill be comjDleted by the son 

 and successor of Professor Coffin, under the supervision of 

 the secretary of the Smithsonian Institution. The editing of 

 the work will be supervised by Dr. A. Wojeikoff*, of St. Peters- 

 burg, who will also contribute such portions of the text as 



