200 PHYSICAL GEOGRAPHY OF THE SEA : 



ocean-current, issuing from the basin of the Mexican Gulf 

 and Caribbean Sea ; doubling the southern cape of Florida ; 

 pressing forwards to the north-east in a line almost parallel 

 to the American coast ; touching on the southern borders of 

 the Grand Banks of Newfoundland, and at some seasons 

 partially passing over them ; thence, with increasing width 

 and diffusion, traversing the whole breadth of the Atlantic, 

 with a central direction towards the British Isles; and 

 finally losing itself by still wider diffusion, in the Bay of 

 Biscay, on our own shores, and upon the long line of the Nor- 

 wegian coasts. Its identity in physical characters is preserved 

 throughout the many thousand miles of its continuous flow ! 

 the only change undergone is that of degree. As its 

 waters gradually commingle with those of the surrounding 

 sea, their deep blue tint declines, their high temperature 

 diminishes, the speed with which they press forwards abates. 

 But taking the stream in its total course, it well warrants the 

 vivid description of our author, and the name he bestows 

 upon it of ' a river in the ocean.' This epithet (bringing to 

 memory the porj Qtcsavoio of Homer), is in truth singularly 

 appropriate to this vast current, so constant and continuous 

 in its course, and so strangely detached from the great mass 

 of ocean waters ; which, while seemingly cleft asunder to give 

 path to its first impulse, are yet ever pressing upon it, gra- 

 dually impairing its force and destroying its individuality. 



The maximum of velocity, where the stream quits the 

 narrow channel of Bernini which compresses its egress from 

 the gulf, is about 4 miles an hour. Off Cape Hatteras in 

 North Carolina, where it has gained a breadth of 75 miles, 

 the velocity is reduced to 3 miles. On the parallel of the 

 Newfoundland Banks it is further reduced to 1J miles an 

 hour, and this gradual abatement of force is continued across 

 the Atlantic. The temperature of the current undergoes 

 similar change. The highest observed is about 85 Fahr. 



