OF TIDES. 345 



but actually such as I have described them, will appear from various 

 testimonies. Froger says that in Brazil the currents follow the sun, 

 running southward when he is south, and northward when he is 

 north. In the summer of the southern hemisphere, the tides set in 

 northward (Schouten, Jan. l6'6l), but in winter run southward 

 and come from the north (Fraser, May 1712). C. Columbus set 

 sail from the Canaries the beginning of September, and steered to 

 the west; he found, during the first days of his voyage, that the 

 currents carried him lo the north-east; when he had advanced 200 

 or 300 leagues from land, he perceived their direction was south- 

 ward : finally, as he approached the Lucayo islands, he again found 

 the current setting in north. 



The nautical observations of Cook demonstrate that the currents 

 of the Atlantic ocean are alternate and half-yearly like those of the 

 Indian ocean. The beans called Oxeyes, which grow only in the 

 West Indies, are every year thrown up on the coast of Ireland, 

 J200 leagues distant. Seeds and turtles are brought to the He. 

 brides from the West Indies and America ; and the mast of the 

 Tilbury man of war, burnt at Jamaica, was found on these coasts : 

 the current which watts these along proceeds in a north direction, 

 and proves that the Atlantic current comes from the south, and sets 

 in north during our winter. The currents of the north annually 

 convey, in summer, toward the south, long banks of floating ices of 

 very considerable depth and elevation, which run aground as far 

 south as the banks of Newfoundland. 



Rennefort (June 20, lt.)G6), near the Azores (in lat. 40 to 45), 

 saw the broken masts, sailyards, &c. wrecked in the engagement 

 which lasted four days between the English and Dutch, from June 

 11 to 15 : this naval combat took place 12 miles to the north-west 

 of Ostend, about 51 north. The currents from the north had 

 therefore wafted them in nine days 1 1 south, besides a consider- 

 able progress westward. 



The general current issuing from the south pole divides into two 

 branches; one, setting in towards the Atlantic ocean, penetrates 

 even to its northern extremity. This part, straitened by the pro- 

 minent parts of Africa and America, forms on the coast two counter 

 currents, which proceed in opposite directions. One of these cur- 

 rents runs east, along the coast of Guinea, to the fourth degree of 

 south latitude; the other tukes its departure from Cape St. Angus- 



