352 On the Gulf Stream and contiguous currents. 
“joins” the Florida stream in no other manner than by passing un- 
derneath the same, or yielding it a passage upon its bosom, the order 
of superposition being mainly determined by the great diversity of 
temperature. The icebergs being thus carried southward by the 
deeper polar current, even after the latter has lost its influence at 
the surface, their dissolution is speedily effected by the tepid water 
of the Gulf Stream, and we are thus relieved from these dangerous 
obstructions, which would otherwise be found in lower latitudes of 
the Atlantic. These two streams of current, therefore, neither meet 
‘nor coalesce in any proper sense ; but like other currents, both at- 
mospheric and aqueous, pursue each its determinate course, the Gulf 
Stream being thrown eastward by the greater rotative velocity which 
it acquires in latitudes nearer the equator; and the polar current be- 
ing thrown westward along the shoals and soundings of the American 
continent and its contiguous ocean depths, by the more tardy rota- 
tion which it derived in higher latitudes. 
The writer in the Nautical Magazine above alluded to, supposes 
the natural course of the polar current from Davis’ Strait to be to- 
wards the coast of Morocco, in North Africa; but a little attention 
to the effect of the earth’s rotation on this current, will show that 
both it and the ice-drifts which are borne on its surface, must tend 
westwardly as above described, in despite of the powerful westerly 
gales which prevail in these latitudes. Light articles, however, such 
as bottles which are set afloat to determine the drift of currents, will 
not only yield greatly to the influence of these winds, but on falling 
into the surface current of the Gulf Stream will of course accompany 
this current in its progress towards the coasts of Europe, where a 
leading branch of this stream is found sweeping along the coast of 
Norway towards the recesses of the Polar Sea, and which appears 
to be ultimately resolved into the Labrador current. The south- 
easterly branch of the stream, on leaving the Grand Bank, yields to 
the centrifugal influence of the earth’s rotation and consequently as- 
sumes the shorter and more direct circuit of gravitation by the coast 
of North Africa to the tropical latitudes, from whence it again merges 
in the Florida stream. It is by this system of compensation, aided 
by various subordinate gyrations, such for instance as Rennell’s cur- 
ilies Nakina OSG 
are met with i in the southern ocean in a lower latitude than that of nani 7 
Bat; seem to be fully aware of the permanent character and ex- 
tent ofthe great polar ent currents, which, under successive changes 0 sone nae 
have prevailed from the beginning, in both hemispheres. 
