190 THE NATURALIST IN BERMUDA. 
the south, south-west, and west, and in the winter season 
from west to north-west and north ; easterly winds are much 
less frequent. 
The warm water of the gulf stream, impelled by westerly 
winds, occasionally deviates from its ordinary course, and 
washes the rocky coast of the Bermudas. Gulf weed (Pucus 
notans), is never absent from the creeks and bays, where it 
accumulates in sufficient quantity to be worth collecting for 
purposes of manure. Logs of squared pine timber, covered 
with barnacles, aresometimes found stranded onthe beach, and 
on one occasion a very large squared log of mahogany was 
driven on the south shore, perforated on every side, to the 
depth of about six inches, by the Teredo navalis. Other 
instances might be quoted of the productions of distant 
countries being drifted to these islands. * 
That the cedars of Bermuda, the palmetto, and, indeed, 
all the original vegetable productions of the group, were 
thus introduced by seeds or plants which had floated from 
the shores of America, there can be little doubt. 
The direction of the winds and currents between the 
Northern States of America and the Bermudas, during the 
first four months of the year, is clearly demonstrated by the 
following occurrence: on the 4th January, 1853, the Ame- 
rican brig, or brigantine, “ Markland,” laden with pitch pine 
lumber, for the port of Boston, was capsized and abandoned 
off that part of the American coast. On or about the first 
of May following, this “direlict” drifted within sight of the 
Bermudas, and was towed into the port of Hamilton, water- 

* Sapindus saponaria, the common soapberry tree of the West Indies, 
growing in the Governor’s grounds at Mount Langton, was raised from 
seed found on the south shore.—See Wilkams’ History of Bermuda. 
