454 THE CIIEMISTKY OF CREATION. 



and uniting with the equatorial currents, flows 

 in one broad current, like a great and mighty 

 river, half way across the globe. 



The equatorial current striking against the 

 vast continent of America, divides into two 

 great currents. Of these, one flows down the 

 east coast of South America, and enters finally 

 the Pacific Ocean, through the Straits of Ma- 

 gellan. The other turns northward, enters the 

 Gulf of Mexico, sweeps round the coast in a 

 powerful current, as rapid and well defined as 

 it were a great river, and now known as the 

 Gulf Stream, proceeds on its onward course at 

 the velocity of four or five miles an hour. More 

 northward still, this large current of water tra- 

 verses the coast of North America, sweeps by 

 Newfoundland, passes eastward, and crosses the 

 world again, extending even occasionally to the 

 Avestern coast of the British Isles. After this, 

 it is supposed to bend downwards along the 

 western shore of Africa until its widely circu- 

 lating waters become once more commingled 

 with those of the great equatorial current from 

 which they originally proceeded. 



This remarkable portion of the great circle of 

 oceanic currents receiving a large increase of 

 temperature in sweeping along the shores of 

 tropical America, and particularly in the Mexican 

 Gulf, is distinguished, by this increase of temper- 



