48 PHYSICAL GEOGRAPnY OF THE SEA, AND ITS METEOROLOGY. 



131. Hie lugli temperature and drift in Hie tcestern half of North 

 Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. — In studying the Gulf Stream, the 

 high temperature and drift of thfe waters to the east of it are 

 worthy of consideration. The Japan current (§ 80) has a like 

 drift of warm water to the east of it also (Plates YI. and IX.). 

 In the western half, reaching up from the equator to the Gulf 

 Stream, both of the North Atlantic and North Pacific, the water 

 is warmer, parallel for parallel, than it is in the eastern half. 

 On the west side, where the water is warm, the flow is to the 

 north ; on the east side, where the temperature is lower, the 

 flow is to the south — making good the remark (§ 80) that, when 

 the waters of the sea meet in currents, the tendency of the warm 

 is to seek cooler latitudes ; and of the cool, warmer. 



132. ^ Gulf Stream in each. — The Gulf Stream of each ocean 

 has its genesis on the west side, and in its course it skirts the 

 coast along ; leaving the coast, it strikes off to the eastward in 

 each case, losing velocit}^ and spreading out. Between each of 

 tliese Gulf Streams and its coasts there is a current of cool water 

 setting to the south. On the outside, or to the east of each 

 stream, and coming up from the tropics, is a broad sheet of warm 

 water ; it covers an area of thousands of square miles, and its 

 drift is to the north. Between the northern drift on the one 

 side of the ocean and the southern set on the other, there is in 

 each ocean a sargasso (§ 88), into which all drift matter, such as 

 wood and weeds, finds its way. In both oceans the Gulf Streams 

 sweep across to the eastern shores, and. so, bounding these seas, 

 interpose a baiTier between them and the higher parallels of 

 latitude, which this drift matter cannot pass. Such are the points 

 of resemblance between the two oceans and in the circulation of 

 their waters. 



133. Their connection iciih the Arctic Ocean. — A j)rominent point 

 for contrast is afforded by the channels or water-ways between 

 the Arctic and these two oceans. AVith the Atlantic they are 

 divers and large; with the Pacific there is but one, and it is 

 both narrow and shallow. In comparison with that of the 

 Atlantic, the Gulf Stream of the Pacific is sluggish, ill-defined. 

 and irregular. Were the water-ways between the Atlantic and 

 the Arctic Ocean no larger than Behring's Straits, our Gulf 

 Stream would fivll for below that of the Pacific in majesty and 

 grandeur. 



134. TJie sargassos shoiu the feeble power of the trade-ivinds upon 



