128 THE OCEAN. [Book V. 



extent ; and if observable at all, it must appear as an 

 inshore eddy, or as a stream from the Amazon River. 

 That which is shown as the equatorial counter-current 

 of the Atlantic is contained within the north equa- 

 torial district of currents, and is not (as in the 

 Pacific) a current dividing the north from the south 

 equatorial district. In consequence of the peculiar 

 configuration of the coast of Africa, the current which 

 runs from the temperate zone to the equator on the 

 east side of the ocean runs eastwards during a great 

 portion of the latter part of its course to the equator. 

 And also the difierence in the configuration of the 

 oceans causes an eastward current to be very largely 

 developed withm the North Atlantic district which 

 is developed to a comparatively trivial extent in the 

 South Atlantic district. The evidences of the exist- 

 ence of these eastward currents must, therefore, be 

 considered in connection with the investigation of 

 the currents contained within the North Atlantic 

 district. 



PAET III. 



EVIDENCES OP THE EXISTENCE OP THE CURRENTS THEO- 

 EETIOALLT DESCRIBED WITHIN THE OCEANIC DISTRICTS. 



The chart of the Atlantic given on Plate XV. is 

 drawn to illustrate the action of vis-inertias within 

 the equatorial districts. Let us consider what traces 

 of the existence of currents of the nature we have 



