122 VIEWS OF NATURE. 



From the parallel of 41° north lat. this stream of warm water 

 follows an easterly direction, gradually diminishing in rapidity 

 as it increases in breadth. It almost touches the southern 

 edge of the Great Newfoundland Bank, where I found the 

 greatest amount of difference between the temperature of 

 the waters of the Gulf Stream and those exposed to the 

 cooling action of the banks. Before the warm current reaches 

 the Western Azores it separates into two branches, one of 

 which turns at certain seasons of the year towards Ireland and 

 Norway, while the other flows in the direction of the Canary 

 Isles and the western coast of Northern Africa. 



The course of this Atlantic current, which I have described 

 more fully in the first volume of my travels in the regions of 

 the tropics, affords an explanation of the manner in which, 

 notwithstanding the action of the trade winds, stems of the 

 South American and West Indian dicotyledons have been 

 found on the coasts of the Canary Islands. I made many 

 observations on the temperature of the Gulf Stream in the 

 vicinity of the Newfoundland Bank. This current bears the 

 warmer water of lower latitudes with great rapidity into more 

 northern regions. The temperature of the stream is therefore 

 from about 4°i to 7° Fahr. higher than that of the contiguous 

 and unmoved water which constitutes the shore as it were of 

 the warm oceanic current. 



The flying-fish of the equinoctial zone (Exocetus volitans), 

 is borne by its predilection for the warmth of the water 

 of the Gulf Stream far to the north of the temperate zone. 

 Floating sea-weed (Fucus natans), chiefly taken up by 

 the stream in the Mexican Gulf, makes it easy for the 

 navigator to recognize when he has entered the Gulf 

 Stream, whilst the position of the branches of the sea- 

 weed indicate the direction of the current. The mainmast of 

 the English ship of war, the Tilbury, which was destroyed 

 by fire in the seven years' war on the coasts of Saint 

 Domingo, was carried by the Gulf Stream to the northern 

 coasts of Scotland: and casks filled with palm-oil, the remains of 

 the cargo of an English ship wrecked on a rock off Cape Lopez 

 in Africa, were in like manner carried to Scotland, after having 

 twice traversed the Atlantic Ocean, once from east to west 

 between 2° and 12° north lat., following the course of the 

 equinoctial current, and once from west to east between 45° 

 and 55° north lat. by help of the Gulf Stream. Hennell, in 



