64 On the Currents of the Atlantic. 



glance at the chart, in what parts of the ocean, and in what 

 months of the year whales had and had not been seen. 

 These investigations soon led to the discovery, that to the 

 right whale the equator is a wall of fire : that that animal is 

 never found near it, seldom or never within a thousand miles 

 or more of it on either side. This fact induced Lieutenant 

 Maury to inquire of the whalemen whether the right whale 

 of the northern and of the southern hemispheres was the 

 same animal. The answer was, " No." The right whale of 

 the latter region, as described by these men, is a small pale 

 animal, the largest scarcely yielding more than fifty barrels 

 of oil. Whereas that of the northern region is a large dark 

 animal, yielding frequently to the single fish upwards of two 

 hundred barrels. About this time a whale-ship returned from 

 a voyage through Behring's Straits, where she also found 

 the right whale of the North Pacific. This fact induced the 

 further inquiry, as to whether the right whale of Behring's 

 Straits, and the right whale of Davis' Straits were the same 

 animal. For since the fact has been established, that the 

 right whale of the North Pacific could not cross the equa- 

 tor, and therefore could not get into the North Atlantic 

 by either of the Capes, a reply in the affirmative to this 

 inquiry would be another link in the chain of circumstantial 

 evidence going to prove the existence of a so-called north- 

 west passage. The answer from the whalemen, in this in- 

 stance was, in effect, — " We have not had an opportunity of 

 comparing the two animals, except after long intervals ; but 

 BO far as we can judge, they are the same fish." So far as 

 the other facts go, it would appear probable that there is, at 

 times at least, an open water communication between the 

 two straits ; for the instincts of the whale, one might suppose 

 would prevent him from sounding under icebergs, neither 

 could he pass under barriers of great depth or breadth. 

 Seeing that water runs through Behring's Straits from the 

 Pacific, as well as round the Capes into the Atlantic, where, 

 therefore, was the escape current from the Atlantic ? The 

 trade-winds. Lieutenant Maury was prepared to shew, were 

 the great evaporating winds. They were the winds which, 

 returning from the Polar regions, deprived of all the mois- 



