12G THE OCEAN^. [Book Y. 



the Antarctic coast, it flows northwards into the 

 Pacific with its temperature reduced, and laden with 

 icebergs from the frozen regions of the South. 



The accordance of the Antarctic currents with 

 the theoretical action of vis-inertise is further cor- 

 roborated by the observations of Sir James Ross and 

 by those of Captain Wilkes. The former foand the 

 current running southwards off the coast of South 

 Victoria ; and the latter, who sailed westwards m the 

 Antarctic regions of the Indian Ocean, along what 

 he supposed to be the shores of an Antarctic Conti- 

 nent, says that the movements of the ice detached 

 from the supposed coast-line appeared to indicate a 

 motion of the water westwards and northwards. 

 The remarkable accordance of Captain Wilkes' 

 observations on the movements of the ice m those 

 regions with what would naturally result from the 

 action of vis -inertias m case of a coast-line existing 

 there, appears to me to leave no doubt of the exist- 

 ence of a sufficient extent of land in those regions to 

 form an ' Antarctic Continent.' 



PART II. 



EVIDENCES OF THE EXISTENCE OP THE EQTJATOEIAL 



COUNTER-CURRENTS. 



We have thus far found the currents which en- 

 close the districts shown on the charts as theoreti- 

 cally resulting from the action of vis -inertia to be in 

 accordance with actual observation. 



