590 TRANSACTIONS OF THE AMERICAN INSTITUTE. 



it ; and when returning northward, it exhibits this westing by 

 forcing itself against the African coast, and partially turning 

 around the Cape of Good Hope. Probably the peculiar form of 

 the Cape — rounded on its eastern side — was caused by this current. 

 On the same principal, Cape Horn received its form from the local 

 current that passes around it in an eastern direction. 



Season Currents of the Indian Ocean. 



There are currents in the Indian ocean, north of the equator, 

 which flow alternately in a northerly and southerly direction. 

 These changes have been generally attributed to the influences of 

 the monsoon or season winds ; and it is possible that they have 

 some agency in producing them, but I very much doubt it. I 

 suspect that the same causes that produce monsoon or season winds, 

 also produce monsoon or season currents in the land-locked seas 

 that wash the shores of Arabia and India. When the sun is in the 

 north, the Indian waters north of the equator are the most heated 

 of all the seas on the globe. They are much warmer than the 

 waters at the equator. Under these circumstances, there will natu- 

 rally be a current from the equator northward, the water of which 

 will ultimately tind its way northeast into the Pacific. In mid- 

 winter, when the sun is in the south, the waters at the equator 

 must be warmer than those along the South Asiatic coast ; and 

 local currents therefore flow southeast toward the equator. I do 

 not believe that there is a single instance in which a constant or 

 periodical current of the ocean is produced by the wind. The fact 

 that the winds frequently coincide with the ocean currents, merely 

 proves that the currents of the ocean and of the atmosphere are 

 both produced at the same time by a common cause. 



The subject of " Ocean Currents " was selected for the next dis- 

 cussion. It being announced that Thanksgiving would occur on 

 the next Thursday, the Association adjourned to December 6th. 



American Institute Polytechnic Association, ? 



Dec. 6, 1866. ] 



Prof. S. D. Tillman in the Chair; T. D. Stetson, Secretary. 

 The chairman opened the proceedings by presenting the foUow- 

 ng interesting summary of scientific news : 



