OCEAN CURRENTS 163 



Some practical seafarers still speak and write of Rennell 

 Current.. Occasionally sailing ships coming from the west- 

 ward find themselves in the Bristol instead of the English ' 

 Channel. This is due to bad weather preventing any astro- 

 nomical observations for some days. This has been attributed 

 by some navigators, not to a current, but to the déviation of 

 the compass, or even to tidal streams. 



Be that as it may, there is no reason for perpetuating 

 " Rennell Current!" 



In contrast to the North African branch of the North 

 Atlantic (easterly) Current, the Irish Current is split off from 

 the main stream by the earth's rotation, and impinges on the 

 continental shelf. 



The continuation of the Irish Current in a northerly 

 direction towards Iceland has been investigated thoroughly 

 during the last few years, particularly by the Danes. 

 Irminger, as a resuit of 87 observations between Pair Island 

 and Iceland, found the average direction of the current to be 

 north 52° east, with an average velocity of only 2-4 sea-miles. 

 There are, however, many eddies in this current. Near the 

 Shetlands the stream runs more easterly, but near Iceland 

 north-easterly. On the Faroes much floating wood from the 

 West Indies was stranded at this time in the months of 

 February and March. Irminger discovered that the current 

 coming from a southerly direction impinged on the Iceland 

 coast in the neighbourhood of the Vestmann Islands, and 

 thence fiowed west. 



There is an important trawl fîshery carried on in Icelandic 

 waters, mainly by British steam trawlers. North Sea water 

 mixed with that of the Atlantic, and thereby warmer and 

 salter, is forced over the Faroe ridge. Isothermal lines are 

 bent sharply against the coast. 



The Irminger Current. — Irminger was also the first to 

 investigate the conditions west of Iceland to Davis Strait. 

 The prevailing direction is hère west of north, the velocity 

 slight. 



