CLIMATE OF THE SEASIDE. 25 



all nations " would form but an icy bond were there not some 

 currents bringing life and warmth to our coasts. The extent 

 of influence possessed by the great Gulf Stream in these 

 climatic modifications is not yet fully understood ; but there 

 can be no doubt that it has had a large share in the changes 

 to which reference has been made. 



A nation and its destiny may be linked by very slender 

 threads. Should any deep, mysterious, but all-potent cause, 

 ever throw those mighty activities into new and unaccustomed 

 channels, thereby producing startling changes of local climate, 

 the historian's fancy sketch of the meditative New Zealander 

 may be realised by means of agencies of which he never 

 dreamed. 



The effect of proximity to the sea in softening and warming 

 a climate has long been recognised. Owing to the penetra- 

 bility of water by radiant heat, and the perpetual agitation 

 and intermixture of its superficial strata, its changes of tem- 

 perature are neither so extensive nor so sudden as those of 

 the land. An island is always found to possess a milder air 

 than land in the same parallel of latitude forming part of a 

 continent. On this subject, Sir Charles Lyell well observes : 

 " The ocean has a tendency to preserve everywhere a mean 

 temperature, which it communicates to the contiguous land, 

 so that it tempers the climate, moderating alike an excess of 

 heat and cold." 



In addition to this general result of proximity to great 

 masses of the ocean, some localities derive additional benefit 

 from certain great marine currents which transport their 

 waters from about the equator. 



It is generally believed that the water encircling our shores 



