1 86 The Realm of Nature CHAP. 



similar to the Benguela and Peru Currents. The South 

 Equatorial Current of the Indian Ocean is reinforced by 

 affluents from that of the Pacific between Australia and 

 Java, which give to the eastern shore of the ocean a par- 

 tially on-shore character. Turning as it flows west, the 

 South Equatorial Current washes the east coast of Mada- 

 gascar, and turns south in several branches, which are drifted 

 back to the West Australian Current by the brave west 

 winds. A strong drift of warm water passing southward 

 along the Mozambique Channel is known as the Agulhas 

 Current off the south of Africa, from the fact that the 

 Agulhas Bank turns the bulk of the stream from its south- 

 westward direction back to the east. A narrow stream of 

 the Agulhas Current rounds the Cape and joins the Ben- 

 >guela Current in the Atlantic. In winter, when the north- 

 east monsoon is blowing, a North Equatorial Current 

 appears, eddying westward round the Bay of Bengal and 

 Arabian Sea, and setting southward along the coast of 

 Africa to join the Agulhas Current. At this season there 

 is also a well-marked Counter Equatorial Current across the 

 ocean from Zanzibar to Sumatra, rather to the south of the 

 equator. During the south-west monsoon the currents in 

 the northern part of the Indian Ocean are reversed. The 

 Somali coast assumes an off-shore condition ( 241), with 

 strong upwelling of cold water, and the currents flow in 

 eddies eastward round the Arabian Sea and Bay of Bengal 

 in the same direction as the Counter Equatorial Current, the 

 force of which is increased. 



249. Currents in the Southern Ocean. The westerly- 

 winds of the Roaring Forties carry a continuous surface 

 drift of water in an easterly direction round the world, thus 

 serving to mix the surface waters of the three great oceans. 

 In many parts of the Southern Ocean slow drift currents of 

 small volume set northward, and this is particularly the 

 case toward the west coasts of the southern continents. 

 Drift ice is rarely found farther north than the latitude of 

 42 or 43, but south of that line Antarctic icebergs are 

 frequently met with. 



250. Functions of the Sea. The hydrosphere regulates 



