44 THE OCEAN. [Book II. 



Antarctic Continent, be the points at which the 

 Atlantic and Pacific streams meet. 



Then in each ocean a stream flowing southwards 

 and eastwards from the equatorial regions meets a 

 stream flowing westwards and northwards from the 

 polar regions, as shown in the plate : and, fi:'om the 

 meeting-point in each ocean, one branch flows north- 

 wards towards the equator, and the other branch 

 sweeps the shores of the Antarctic Continent, and 

 then forms the stream which flows westwards and 

 northwards from the polar regions in the opposite 

 ocean. 



The Antarctic Continent must cause a subdivision 

 of each of the Antarctic districts as shown in Plates 

 XI. and X.la., because the stream turned south from 

 each meeting-point must redivide on striking the Ant 

 arctic coast, and then the portions turned eastwards 

 must recoil upon their parent streams, forming separate 

 districts of rotation ; and forming also, at the points 

 c and D at which they meet the parent streams, an 

 interlacing of currents with revolving fragments 

 similar to that which occurs where a polar stream 

 rejoins the equatorial stream from which it has its 

 source, as at f and g. 



The meetings at A and b are meetings of inde- 

 pendent streams, from separate force- creating regions, 

 and therefore they mutually repel each other until 

 an equilibrium of force is established between them. 

 But the meetings at c, d, r, and g are formed by the 



