THE JAPANESE STREAM. 63 
Fven in the vicinity of the equator, after the current has 
already assumed a westerly direction, its mean temperature does 
not exceed 20°5.° But as it advances towards the west, its tem- 
perature gradually rises to 27° or 28°. 
On the western banks of the Pacific the equatorial stream 
divides into several branches. Part of its waters flow to the 
south, a greater quantity penetrates through the channels of 
the south Asiatic Archipelago into the Indian Ocean, the re- 
mainder turns to the north-east, on the confines of the Chinese 
Sea, leaves the eastern coast of the Japanese Islands, and then 
Japan Junks, 
spreads its warm waters under the influence of north- westerly 
winds over the northern part of the Pacific. Thus the Japanese 
stream plays here the same part as the Gulf-stream in the 
Atlantic, and exerts a similar, though less mighty influence 
over the climate of the west coast of America, as it is neither so 
large nor so warm, and, having to traverse a wider ocean, in 
higher latitudes, naturally loses more of its heat during the 
passage. 
It is owing to this stream that Sitcha enjoys a mean annual 
temperature of + 7° R., while Nain in Labrador, situated under 
the same latitude, is indebted to the Greenland current for a 
summer of + 7°8°, a winter of —18°5°, and a miserable annual 
temperature of —3°6°. On the west coast of North America 
F 
