PLANTS COLLECTED IN BAHAMAS, ETC. 161 



the Windward Islands would be connected. It is not, how- 

 ever, till a layer of water 1,000 fathoms deep is removed 

 that important changes would occur. Jamaica would be 

 united with Honduras, Cuba with Florida, and also with 

 South America through the Windward Islands. There 

 would be a narrow channel between Cuba and Yucatan, 

 between Jamaica and Haiti, and a wide and deep channel 

 between Jamaica and Cuba. Watling's, the Acklin Island 

 group and Inagua would still be isolated and the distances 

 between them and the neighboring land would not be 

 materially diminished. 



The ocean current flows westward into the Caribbean Sea 

 and also to the north of the Windward Islands, at the rate 

 of one-half to three-fourths knots per hour. It increases 

 in speed as it flows west and north into the Gulf of Mexico, 

 sweeps over the Campeche or Yucatan bank, along the 

 coast of Mexico and finally returns towards Florida, passes 

 between that peninsula and Cuba, then northward along 

 the coast into the Altantic Ocean. The Gulf Stream attains 

 its maximum speed of about five knots per hour along the 

 southern coast of Florida. The portion which flows along 

 the eastern edge of the Windward Islands and the Bahamas, 

 the Equatorial Current, finally joins the Gulf Stream. 

 This is only the general tendency of the currents as less 

 water flows out through the Straits of Florida than can 

 flow in between the Windward Islands. 



The prevailing wmids in the West Indies are, of course, 

 easterly, but cold winds called " northers " are of frequent 

 occurrence in the northern part in winter. 



There have been many speculations concerning the geo- 

 logical history of the West Indian region. To account for 

 the distribution of the fauna and flora, many naturalists 

 have considered the probability of an ancient land con- 

 nection between the islands and the mainland. It is hardly 

 probable under any theon r that the ocean bed below the 

 1,000 fathom line was ever above water. If that portion 

 within the 1 ,000 fathom line was ever exposed it must have 



