CONTENTS. 



CHAPTER I. 



THE SEA AND THE ATMOSPHERE. 



The two Oceans of Air and Water, § 1.— Their Meeting, 2.— Their Depth, 3.— The 

 Weight of the Atmosphere, 4. — Three fourths below the Mountain-tops, 5. — Its 

 Height, 6.— Data conjectural, 7.— Analysis of Air, 8.— Information respecting the 

 Depth of the Ocean, 9.— Its probable Depth, 10.— Relation between the Depth 

 and the Waves of the Sea, 11.— Airy's Tables, 12.— The Earthquake of Simoda, 

 13.— The Propagation of its Waves, 14.— Their Breadth and Velocity, 15.— Ave- 

 rage Depth of the North Pacific, 16. — Specific Gx-avity of Sea-water, 17.— Ditto 

 of Air, 18.— Unequal Distribution of Light and Heat, of Air, Water, and Land, 

 19.— The Sun longer in northern Declination, 20.— England about the Pole of 

 the Hemisphere with most Land, 21.— Eiiects in the Terrestrial Economy of Ine- 

 quality in the Distribution of Land and Water, 22.— Quantity of fresh Water in 

 American Lakes, 23. — The southern Seas likened to the Boiler, northern Lands 

 to the Condenser of a Steam-engine, 24. — Oflices of the Atmosphere multitudi- 

 nous, 25.— Dr. Buist, 26. — The Sea and the Atmosphere contrasted, 27. — Influence 

 of the Sun, 28.— Of diurnal Rotation, 29.— Currents, 30.— Icebergs, 31.— Mountain 

 Ranges, 32.— Water, 33.— Latent Heat, 34.— Effects of, upon* the Earth, 35.— The 

 Tides, 36.— Hurricanes, 37.— Powers of the Air, 38.— Its Functions, 39.— The 

 Operations ofY/ater, 40, — Its marvellous Powers, 41. — It caters on the Land for 

 the Insects of the Sea, 42. — Leeching, 43.— Solid Ingredients, 44.— Quantity of 

 Silver in the Sea, 45. — Its Inhabitants, their Offices, 46.— Monuments of their In- 

 dustry, 47.— Analysis of Sea-water, 48.— Proportion of Water to the Mass of the 

 Earth, 49.— The three great Oceans, 50.— The Atlantic, 51.— Its Tides, 52.— Its 

 Depths, 53.— Contrasted with the Pacific, 54.— The Telegraphic Plateau, 55.— New 

 Routes for an Atlantic Telegraph, 56.— The Greenland Route, 57.— The French 

 Route, 58.— Their Length of Circuit, 59.— Faulty Cables, 60.— Their Iron Yv rappings, 

 61, — Imperfect Insulation, 62. — The Red Sea and Mediterranean Cables, 63.— A 

 Galvanic Battery in the Sea, 64. — Two Metals should not be used about a Sub- 

 marine Cable, 65. — Rogers's Cable "Jacket," 66. — Deep-sea Temperatures a 

 Desideratum, 67,— Specimens from the Depth of 19,800 feet, 68 . . Page 1 



CHAPTER TI. 



THE GULF STREAM. 



Its Colour, § 70. — How caused, 71. — Speculations concerning the Gulf Stream, 72. — 

 Agencies concerned, 73. — Early Writers, 74. — Objection to the fresh-water Theory, 

 75. — Livingston's Hypothesis, 76. — Franklin's Theory, 77. — Objections to it, 78. — 

 Herschel's Explanation, 79. — Objections to it, 80. — The Supremacy of the Winds 

 disputed, 81.— The Bonifaccio Current, 82.— The Bed of the Gulf Stream an 

 ascending Plane, 83. — The Niagara, 84.— x^ Current Counter to the Gulf Stream, 

 85.— Bottle Chart, 86.— Their Drift, 87.— The Sargasso Sea, 88.— A Bifurcation, 

 89. — Winds exercise but little Influence upon constant Currents, SO. — Effects of 

 diurnal Rotation upon the Gulf Stream, 91. — The Gulf Stream jannot be accounted 

 for by a higher Level, 92. — Nor by the trade-wind Theory, 93. — Illustration, 94. — 

 The Gulf Stream the Effect of some constantly operating Power, 95.— The Pro- 

 duction of Currents without Wind, 96. — Warm Currents flow towards the Pole, cold 

 towards the Equator, 97.— The Edges of the Gulf Stream a striking Feature, 98. — 

 Illustrations, 99.— How the Water of the Gulf Stream differs from the littoral 

 Waters, 100.— Action on Copper, 101.— Saltness of the Gulf Stream, 102.— Agents 



