CnAP. XI.] OCEAN CURKENTS. 135 



inertia?, according to the phenomena before mentioned, 

 exceeds that of the winds, and the manner in which 

 its action in tlie ocean, indicated by the oblate sphe- 

 roidal form of the earth, is corroborated by the argu- 

 ments in Book III., it is scarcely too bold to suggest 

 that this current may at times be found distinctly 

 running eastwards when there is no eastward current 

 running from the Caribbean Sea ; or even when the 

 currents are as distinctly running westwards into the 

 Caribbean Sea through all its western channels. In 

 this — perhaps an extreme case, and suggested only 

 for the sake of illustrating the theory — the currents 

 running westwards into the Caribbean Sea would be 

 supplied by the equatorial current along the 'northern 

 shore of Brazil, and by a current running south- 

 eastwards from the direction of the Bermudas, and 

 afterwards curving southwards and westwards to 

 those channels. These two currents, on uniting to 

 flow into the Caribbean Sea, would represent the 

 theoretical current a b c in Plate IX. As to whether 

 the whole of the theoretical current a b c passes 

 through the Caribbean Sea, or only a portion of it, 

 the remainder passing north of the Antilles, is a 

 question which can be decided only by actual ob- 

 servation. 



This eastward current (h, Plate IX.) is also 

 mentioned by Captain Richards, in a paper published 

 by the Admiralty, in which Captain Richards says : 

 ' To the eastward of 40° W., part of this easterly 



