GREAT CURRENTS OF THE OCEAN. O 



Lizars says of it, — " Along the western coast of Africa some 

 singular currents prevail. Between the 30th degree of north 

 and the 10th degree of south latitude (the same breadth as the 

 westerly stream that runs into the Gulf of Mexico) an easterly 

 current sets in towards the shore, which has been sometimes 

 fatal to mariners. By this current, vessels, if they approach 

 too near the coast, are drawn into the Gulf of Guinea, out of 

 which they experience the greatest difficulty in making their 

 way." 



Other writers speak of this current in the same manner. 

 One of them says, — " This current, which is known by the 

 name of Fernando Po, is said to be so strong as to impel 

 vessels powerfully towards the bay, when they happen to 

 come too near the coast. Its strength is such that a vessel 

 may, in two days, go from Maura to Rio de Benin, distant 

 150 leagues; and the time required to return is about six 

 weeks." 



In this locality, the land on which the sea water rests, so far 

 from moving towards the east with greater velocity than the 

 water of that sea, most undoubtedly must move with a less 

 velocity, as it allows the water to proceed eastward so much 

 faster than itself, as to constitute that water a strong current 

 rurming eastward into the Gulf of Guinea. Thus on both 

 sides of Africa within the tropics, the oceanic currents, where 

 any exist, move in a direction the opposite to that which 

 would be found if the theory of which we are speaking were 

 true. There are many other currents that furnish practical 

 evidence of the erroneous nature of that theory ; but it is 

 desirable that we should in the first instance direct our 

 attention to those great western currents that have been 

 named, and to the causes which, it may be presumed, really 

 produce them. 



In one of the extracts that have been given, some influence 

 is assigned to the winds that blow over the tropical seas, but 

 they are said to produce only a superficial effect on the body 



