30 THE OCEAN WORLD. 



dangerous position. A single wave, wliich swept the deck, tore out 

 the masts, stopped the engines, and washed overboard 129 persons, 

 officers and soldiers. From that moment the unfortunate steamer 

 floated upon the waters, a waif abandoned to the fury of the wind. 

 The day after the disaster the San Francisco was seen in this desperate 

 situation by a ship, which reached New York, although unable to assist 

 lier. Another ship met her some days after, but, like the other, 

 could render no assistance. When the report reached New York, 

 two steamers were despatched to her assistance ; but in what direc- 

 tion were they to go ? what part of the ocean were they to explore ? 

 The authorities at the Washington Observatory were appealed to. 

 Having consulted his charts as to the direction and limits of the Gulf 

 Stream at that period of the year. Dr. Maury traced on a chart the 

 spot to which the disabled steamer was likely to be driven by the 

 current, and the course to be taken by the vessels sent to her 

 assistance. The crew and passengers of the San Francisco were 

 saved before their arrival. Three ships, which had seen their 

 distressing situation, had been able to reach them, and the steamers 

 sent to their assistance only arrived to witness the safety of the 

 passengers and crew. But the point where the steamer foundered 

 shortly^fter they were transferred to the rescuing ships was precisely 

 that indicated by Dr. Maury. If the ships sent to her assistance had 

 reached in time, the triumph of Science would have been complete. 



The equinoctial currents of the Pacific are very imperfectly known. 

 It is believed, however, that they traverse the great ocean in its 

 whole length, and bifurcate opposite the Asiatic coast, where the 

 weakest branch bends northward until it encounters the polar current 

 from Behring's Straits, when it returns along the Mexican coast. The 

 larger branch inclines towards the south, passing round Australia, 

 where it is met by one or many counter currents coming from the 

 Indian Ocean — of the complicated and dangerous nature of which 

 both Cook and La Peyrouse speak. 



The cold waters from the Antarctic Pole are carried towards the 

 Equator by three great oceanic rivers. The first bifurcates in 45*^ ; 

 one portion goes round Cape Horn ; the other— Humboldt's current 

 ascends the Chilian and Peruvian coasts up to the Equator, ame- 

 liorating the rainless climate as it goes, and making it delightful. A 

 second great current takes the direction of the African coast, and is 

 divided at the Cape, ascending both the east and west coasts of 

 Africa. On either side of the warm cunent which escapes from the 

 intertropical parts of the Indian Ocean, but especially along the 

 Australian coast, a polar current wends its way from the Antarctic 



