134 THE OCEAX. [Book Y. 



Labrador Current to the eastern part of the equatorial 

 regions of the Atlantic, appears to be forced to the 

 surface of the ocean near the Bermudas — thus 

 appearing at the surface immediately after under- 

 running the Gulf Stream. Recorded observations, 

 which we shall have to mention farther on, appear to 

 show that, in general, the whole volume of the theo- 

 retical current A b c passes inside the Bahamas, 

 though not all through the Gulf of Mexico. 



The theoretical current h has also been observed 

 farther on its course towards the equator, though it 

 hjas been accounted for by Mr. Findlay in a manner 

 which, if there were no other reasons for discarding: 

 the theory which makes the action of the winds 

 the principal current -creating force, would be most 

 natural. In the North Atlantic Memoir, Mr. Findlay 

 says, ' It has been found that during calm weather, 

 even with strong easterly winds, the currents have 

 sometimes been running for days together to the 

 eastward, especially in the latter parts of January 

 and July, when, by the then prevailing strong winds^ 

 the water is heaped up in a very uncommon degree, 

 and the inner part of the Caribbean Sea, most 

 probably overcharged, succeeds m re-establishing its 

 equilibrium by forsaking the power of its wrathful 

 driver. In this manner, I think, we ought to recon- 

 cile those circumstances.' ^ 



But considering how greatly the action of vis- 



• Ih. p. 306. 



