AND TEMPERATURE OF THE SKA. 355 



to the westward go up to the American islands, then to the coasts 

 of Jucatan and Mexico, and running round in the gull, return into 

 the great ocean, by the straits of Bahama, along the coasts of Flo. 

 rida, in order to pursue, in the north, the course ordained them 

 by the Supreme Being. It is in this course the waters are known 

 to run with an extraordinary rapidity : they pass between the great 

 and little islands of America, in the great deeps, by an almost 

 even and imperceptible motion ; but against the shores and coasts 

 of these islands, which form this archipelago, these currents are 

 very sensible and dangerous ; they interrupt the navigation, inso- 

 much that it is scarcely possible to stem these tides to get to the 

 eastward. 



It often happens, that vessels steering from St. Domingo, or the 

 other Leeward islands, to the windward ones, cannot absolutely ac- 

 complish it, and are therefore obliged to get out of the channel, 

 and steer away to the northward, in order to tack up to the wind- 

 ward isles. These are daily observations, and well known to all 

 navigators of America. 



Besides these regular currents, there are others, called counter- 

 tides, which are observable on the sea-coasts and shores. In places 

 where these flow, the sea rises in an extraordinary manner, becom- 

 ing very furious without any apparent cause, and without being 

 moved by any wind ; the waves rise and open very high, and break 

 against the shore, with such violence, that it is impossible for ves- 

 sels to land. These he thinks are chiefly caused by the pressure of 

 heavy black clouds sometimes seen hanging over an island or the 

 sea. As to other currents in the main seas, or in other particular 

 situations, as the gut and the coasts of the Mediterranean, Dr. Pey. 

 sennel ascribes them to the action of the winds, &c. 



The most extraordinary current we are acquainted with is that of 

 the gulf of Florida, incidentally glanced at above. It is thus de- 

 scribed by Sir Charles Blagden *. 



One of the most remarkable facts observed in navigating the 

 ocean, is that constant and rapid current which sets along the coast; 

 of North America to the northward and eastward, and is commonly 

 known to seamen by the name of the gulf-stream. It seems justly 

 attributed to the effect of the trade-winds, which, blowing from the 



* Ib. 1781, vol. 

 2 



