1 8 THE CLIMATE OF AUSTRALASIA 



the western shores of New Zealand and thence 

 continues southward to the Antarctic Continent, 

 near Cape Adair, at the point where the 

 Atlantic coast-type of Wilkes Land joins the 

 Pacific coast- type of Victoria Land. With our 

 existing knowledge, it seems better to accept 

 New Zealand as the eastern boundary of the 

 Southern Ocean, and not to continue it into the 

 Southern Pacific. The whole Pacific is thus 

 left as one geographical unit, bounded entirely 

 by coasts of the Pacific type. The Southern 

 Ocean, when restricted to the great ocean belt 

 that extends from South America, past South 

 Africa to New Zealand, is also an independent 

 geographical unit, bounded by coasts of the 

 Atlantic type. Future work may show that 

 the Southern Pacific includes a belt that should 

 be regarded as an extension of the Southern 

 Ocean ; but geological evidence suggests that 

 the natural boundaries of the Southern Ocean 

 are South America and Graham's Land on the 

 west, and New Zealand on the east (fig. i) 



Even when thus restricted, the Southern 

 Ocean is a great sea, 12,000 miles long by 1800 

 miles broad, and is equal in area to the Atlantic. 

 Of that vast sea our ignorance is deplorable. 

 The chief facts that we know about it are that 

 it is swept by the " brave west winds ;" that 

 there is accordingly a steady drift of water 

 across it from west to east ; that there is a 

 movement of cold water from south to north 

 upon or below the surface ; and that in places 



