154 PRACTICAL OBSERVATIONS ON THE GULPH STREAM. 



imagine the existence of a great ocean river, carrying them uncon- 

 sciously along at the rate of six or seven. Some idea of the true 

 strength of the Gulph Stream off the coast of Florida, may be formed 

 from the account of Mr. Rowan, an excellent American navigator and 

 surveyor, who about fifteen years since threw much light upon the 

 subject, and who having upon one occasion become bewildered as to 

 his position, lay to in a light schooner for twenty-four hours, and 

 found, to his astonishment, that he had drifted one hundred and 

 twelve miles of northing alone, by observation upon the following 

 day. Many circumstances then are required to be considered in 

 estimating a ship's way in the Gulph Stream, as the season of the 

 year, the prevailing wind, and the weight and depth in the water of 

 the vessel may all exercise a considerable influence, and safety will 

 generally be in over-estimating, rather than underrating the rapidity 

 of the current. 



The advantages of the Gulph Stream to navigation are very con- 

 siderable to vessels bound to Europe from the West Indies and all 

 the harbours of the Gulph of Mexico. Vessels bound outward from 

 Europe to the Mississippi, Mexico, and even the Havannah, ought 

 never, however, to attempt the direct passage by the Bahama Islands 

 in the summer months, for the prevalence of the southerly wind and 

 the hazard of being carried back in calms by the current of the 

 Gulph Stream, make it an infinitely preferable, though undoubtedly 

 a very circuitous course, to pass by the southern side of the island of 

 Cuba. On the contrary, the prevalence in winter of the north-west 

 wind creates a probability of a direct run to the westward, there 

 being no trades observable at any season in the Gulph of Mexico. In 

 the event of being becalmed, the Americans usually make for an 

 anchorage upon the Bahama Banks, which consist of a coral founda- 

 tion, and indeed it is worthy to be remarked that the labours of the 

 coral insect are very rapidly raising these vast banks, it being pro- 

 bable that in another century from this cause no passage will exist 

 into the Gulph of Mexico, other than by the stream and the straits of 

 Florida. The soundings upon the Great Bank are laid down with 

 great accuracy upon the charts of Messrs. Blount, the well-known 

 nautical booksellers of New York, those gentlemen having a few 

 years since fitted out the sloop Orbit for the purpose of this survey. 

 The light-houses upon the coast of Florida are also about to be mul- 

 tiplied by a recent act of the Congress of the United States. As our 

 knowledge of the nature of the Gulph Stream is yet very imperfect, 

 we trust that these remarks attempting to embody the principal views 

 of its origin, rapidity, and utility or disadvantage to navigation, will 

 be acceptable to scientific readers. 



