122 THE OCEAN. [Book V. 



water flowing from the north. The supply of water 

 brought by these streams to the temperate zone on 

 the western side of the ocean is carried eastwards 

 through the temperate zone, forming a constant 

 stream, which, in the neighbourhood of the coasts of 

 Oregon, divides northwards and southwards ; the 

 former portion flowing towards Russian America, the 

 latter towards the equator. 



In the North Atlantic Ocean the general course 

 of the currents is similar to that just described as 

 existing in the North Pacific Ocean — namely : west- 

 wards in the equatorial regions ; northwards from 

 the equator to the temperate zone on the western 

 side of the ocean ; southwards fi:'om the temperate 

 zone to the equatorial regions on the eastern side of 

 the ocean ; eastwards through the temperate zone. 

 In the temperate zone on the western side of the 

 ocean, the warm water flowing from the equatorial 

 regions meets a stream of cold water flowing from 

 the north ; and the water which flows eastwards 

 through the temperate zone divides northwards and 

 southwards in the eastern parts of the ocean — the 

 one portion flowing southwards past the Cape Verde 

 Islands, the other flowing northwards to the east of 

 Iceland. 



We have seen that the westward motion through 

 the equatorial regions of the Pacific is continued in 

 the Indian Ocean. In this ocean a further supply for 

 the westward course of the waters in its equatorial 



