132 THE OCEAN. [Book V. 



towards the equator, tends westwards, the latter must 

 tend to run as a counter- current parallel to the course 

 of the former, until its natural course westwards 

 towards the equator is at length obstructed by the 

 course of the stream a b c. The point at which the 

 obstruction occurs forms the theoretical point y, from 

 which the offset h is forced eastwards towards the 

 equator between the main streams o r and a b c. 



As regards the evidences of the existence of 

 the theoretical current h on Plate IX., which is also 

 illustrated in the Chart on Plate XV., Captain Living- 

 ston, as quoted by Mr. Findlay, says : ' I have no 

 doubt that there is a current, or rather offset, from 

 the Gulf Stream to windward, between Bermuda and 

 the Bahamas. In the " Brilliant," we found ourselves 

 retarded very much in making westing when run- 

 ning for the Hole-in-the-Wall, one day, about 30 

 miles of longitude, by excellent observations, the 

 truth of which was confirmed by our land -fall. In 

 the " Dispatch " we got out of the Gulf on the loth 

 of March, 1819, when we were at noon, by observa- 

 tion, in lat. 28° 0', long., by account, 79° 12' ; on the 

 20th of March, at noon, we were, by meridian altitude, 

 in lat. 29° 48', and long., by account, 72° 32'. Obser- 

 vations by sun and moon, a good lunar of three 

 sights, altitudes, and distances, and worked three 

 times, gave 71° 18' 30".' ^ 



* Memoir descriptive and explanatory of the Northern Atlantic 

 Ocean, by John Piirdy. Twelfth edition, by Alexander G. Findlay, 

 F.R.G.S. (London, 1865), p. 333. 



