OF TIDES. 



tin, proceeding south-west, along Brasil, to Maire's Straits. In the 

 middle of the Atlantic ocean, beyond the strait formed by the two 

 continents, this general branch pushes on north, and advances to the 

 north extremities of Europe and America, bringing us twice every 

 day along our coasts the tides of the south, which are the half daily 

 effusions of the two sides of the soutlrpole. The other branch takes 

 a direction south of Cape Horn, rushes into the South Sea, pro. 

 duces the monsoon in the Indian ocean, and, having made the tour 

 of the globe, unites itself by the Cape of Good Hope to the general 

 current which enters the Atlantic ocean. 



In our summer, commencing toward the end of March, when the 

 suit retires from the southern hcmisplure, and proceeds to warm the 

 north, the effusions of the south pole are stayed, those of our pole 

 begin to flow, and the currents of the ocean change throughout 

 every latitude. The general current of our seas divides also into 

 two branches; the first deiiving its source from Waigats, Hudson's 

 Bay, &c. flows with the rapidity of a sluice, descends through the 

 Atlantic ocean, crosses the line, and, finding itself confined at the 

 same strait of Guinea and Brasil, forms two lateral counter currents 

 setting i& north : these counter currents produce, on the coasts of 

 Europe, the tides which appear to coine from the south. The 

 general current advances south, arrives about the month of April at 

 the Cape of Good Hope, and renders the passage round this cape 

 so difficult to vessels returning from India at this season ; about the 

 middle of May it reaches the coasts of India, produces the west 

 monsoon, and, having encompassed the globe, proceeds to Cape 

 Horn, re-ascends the coasts of Brasil, and creates a current termi- 

 nating at Cape St. Augustin. 



The other general branch- which receives much less of the icy 

 effusions, issues between the continents of Asia and America, and 

 descends to the Soutli sea, where it is re- united to the first branch. 

 The ocean accordingly flows twice a year round the globe in oppo- 

 site spiral directions, taking its departure alternately from each pole, 

 and describes on the earth the same course which the sun does in 

 the heavens. 



The course of our tides towards the north in winter is not an 

 effect of the lateral counter currents of the Atlantic ocean, but of 

 the general current of the south pole, which runs north. In this 

 direction almost throughout it passes from a wider space into a nar- 



