232 MARINE BIOLOGICAL LABORATORY. 



thinking that the ancients not only knew of these 

 currents but supposed them to be the essential features 

 of the oceans. 



While speaking of these older maps, I might add that 

 there are many curious graphic attempts to explain the 

 ocean currents. Among them the attempt of Vossius 

 is noteworthy. His currents start from the interior of 

 the globe, and after running their course, are taken back 

 to mid-ocean (a safe place perhaps at that time because 

 it was not likely to be investigated), and then they 

 disappeared in a most remarkable series of mysterious 

 whirlpools. 



Twenty years after the discovery of America, Ponce 

 de Leon, who had been Governor of Porto Rico, was 

 replaced by Diego Colon. He set sail in 15 13, with 

 three vessels, to cross the straits between the Bahamas 

 and Florida. While sailins: south alono; the coast of 

 Florida, they kept off shore to avoid shallows, and found 

 themselves in a current against which they could not 

 make headway even with a favorable wind. Their 

 journals are very interesting at this point, because in 

 them we have the first recorded descriptions of the 

 Gulf Stream. Two of the vessels came to anchor, their 

 cables *' vibrating like musical strings," while it is re- 

 corded as a remarkable fact that the third vessel, being 

 further off shore than the other two, failed to obtain an 

 anchorage and '* drifted out of sight in a clear day, with 

 a fair wind." 



The pilot of this expedition was Francisco de Alami- 

 nos, later on the pilot of Cortez. In his actions we 

 have a fine example of the hardy character and practical 

 nature of those early explorers. When the "Gold-land" 



