OCEAN CURRENTS 235 



of the cold water passes westward and southwestward into the 

 St. Lawrence Gulf and Cabot Straits, and bathes the eastern coast 

 of the United States to Cape Cod (Cabot current). It is probably- 

 recognizable in the "cold wall" bordering the Florida current. An- 

 other part turns eastward and even northeastward, occasionally 

 carrying iceberg fragments to the North British coast. 



The southern arm of the West-wind drift forms the Canary 

 current, which flows southward between Madeira and the Cape 

 Verde Islands, to join the North Equatorial current. Flowing from 

 higher to lower latitudes, it is a relatively cool current, varying in 

 velocity from 8 to 30 nautical miles per day (0.62 to 2.3 km. per 

 hour). 



The Equatorial Counter current of the Atlantic is especially well 

 developed off the African coast, where it is known as the Guinea 

 current. Its position varies with the seasons, but it is always a 

 warm current. It is not traceable over the entire mid-Atlantic, 

 being formed by recurring branches of the two equatorial currents. 

 In March its western end lies near 25° west latitude, and in Sep- 

 tember near 40° west latitude, and in other months it lies between 

 these. It broadens westward, gaining an average velocity of per- 

 haps 18 nautical miles per day, though velocities as high as 40 or 50 

 may occur, while at Cape Palmas a velocity of 85 nautical miles per 

 day has been recorded. Owing to the conformation of the West 

 African coast, an arm of the Guinea current is deflected northward, 

 though its main mass enters the Gulf of Guinea. This is especially 

 the case in the summer months. 



In the South Atlantic the principal warm stream is the Brazil 

 current, which follows the South American coast to latitude 49° or 

 50°, before reaching which it has turned eastward and united with 

 the cold Cape Horn current, forming the South Atlantic connecting 

 current, which varies in velocity between 6 and 33 nautical miles 

 per 24 hours. The northern part of this connecting stream has a 

 higher temperature than the southern, as is to be expected from 

 the double origin of this current. An arm of the Cape Horn cur- 

 rent turns northward along the Patagonian coast, forming the cold 

 Falkland current, which is always at least 3° to 4° cooler than the 

 neighboring Brazil current. 



Where the cold West-wind drift of tlie South Atlantic meets the 

 West African coast, it turns northward and becomes the cold 

 Benguelan current, with a velocity of generally more than 12, but 

 seldom more than 30, nautical miles per day, a velocity sufficient 

 to deflect the red-brown water of the Congo northward and cause 

 the floating mangrove islands and tree trunks furnished by this 



