(54 THE OCEAN. 



CHAPTER VIII. 



THE GULF-STREAM, — IXFLUEXCE OF THIS CITKRENT ON CLIMATE.— ITS IMPORTANCE 



TO COMMERCE. 



Of all the oceanic rivers, the best known to us is that part of the North; 

 Atlantic current, which the English and the Americans have named 

 the Gulf-stream, because it makes a long circuit in the Gulf of ^lexico 

 before reaching the ocean. In the year 1513 the Spaniards Ponce de 

 Leon and Antonio de Alaminos knew of the existence of this current 

 and six years later Alaminos, setting forth from the Straits of 

 Florida, allowed himself to be carried by the water into the open 

 sea, and thus discovered the great circular route which ships have 

 now to follow in order to return speedily to Europe. Since the time 

 of Yarenius who attempted to describe the Gulf-stream, of Yossius 

 who traced its immense circuit on a map, Franklin and Blagden who 

 were the first to explore it scientifically, this current has been studied 

 by numerous geographers. Without doubt, there is no marine cur- 

 rent which merits to be better known in all its details ; none has 

 been of more importance in the commerce of nations or exercises a 

 greater influence upon the climate of the North-AYest of Europe. It 

 is to the Gulf-stream that the Bj-itish Isles, France, and the neigh- 

 bouring countries owe in great part their mild temperature, their 

 agricultural wealth, and in consequence a very considerable part of 

 their material and moral power.* Its history is almost identical with 

 that of the entire North Atlantic Ocean, so important is its hy- 

 drological and climatic influence. f 



The celebrated Maury devotes the most important part of his 

 classical work on the Geography of the Sea to the Gulf-stream. It 

 *' is a river in the ocean ; in the severest droughts it never fails, in 

 the mightiest floods it never overflows. Its banks and its bottom 

 are of cold water, whilst its current is of warm. There is in the 

 world no other such majestic flow of waters. Its current is more 



* See below, the chapter entitled, The Earth and Man. 

 t J. G; Kohl, Geschicht'e des Golf stroma, p. 1. 



