330 THE PHYSICAL GEOGRAPHY OF THE SEA. 



warm currents in the sea have thereon, even less than we know 

 what operations are appointed for the hurricanes in the economy 

 of nature ; but that they, in their way, have important services to 

 perform, can not be doubted. The almighty and merciful Wis- 

 dom, whom we find universally in all the operations of nature, 

 assures us thereof — is to us a pledge. The iact that the hurricanes 

 prefer to place their feet in warm water, and that in all seas where 

 they prevail warm settled currents are also found, which appear to 

 arise from the disturbance which the solid crust of the earth 

 causes in the regular flowing of the waters of the sea, causes us 

 to suspect that there is a certain relation between the hurricanes 

 and the warm currents ; and, finally, that in the economy of na- 

 ture the hurricanes in the atmosphere and the v^arm 'rivers in 

 the sea' work together to restore the disturbed equilibrium in na- 

 ture, which can be done in no other way than this, and along the 

 way, whicli they, as it were, mutually agree to follow together. 

 Thus we see the hurricanes beyond the tropics follow the most 

 prevailing current of air along the surface, on one side from the 

 southwest, on the other side from the northwest, just as the Gulf 

 Stream flows to the north and east, and the warm currents of the 

 South Indian Ocean to the south and east, and, again, the China 

 current to the north and east. In this we see, again, the universal 

 laws by which all matter is governed : very touching is the sim- 

 plicity of the Divine plan. 



944. "When the hurricanes and the 'rivers in the sea,' upon 

 their way to the poles, have reached the parallel of latitude upon 

 which the eflbrt of the diurnal revolution of the earth upon her 

 axis causes air and water to be forced in a northeasterly or south- 

 easterly direction, then they bow themselves submissively to the 

 law, and go together, often hand in hand, to accomplish their ap- 

 pointed tasks. And now, if we suppose that by the diurnal rev- 

 olution every thing which moves from the equator to this parallel 

 of latitude is bent more gradually to the east, then it is remarka- 

 ble that the first part of the course of circulating storms often 

 stands perpendicular to these supposed movements of the air, and 

 in the North Atlantic Ocean runs nearly W.N.W. ; in the South 

 Indian Ocean, W.S.W. 



