165 



CHAPTER XV. 



KEFUTATION OF OBJECTIONS, ON A PRIORI GROUNDS, 

 AGAINST THE POSSIBILITY OF THE EXISTENCE OF 

 THE ACTION OF VIS-INERTIA IN THE OCEAN OR 

 ATMOSPHERE. 



Dr. Charles Hutton appears to have been among 

 those who rejected the idea of the winds being an 

 adequate cause to account for the currents known to 

 exist in the ocean ; for he speaks of the ' natural 

 and general currents of the sea ' as ' arising from the 

 diurnal rotation of the earth on its axis, or the 

 tides,' &c. ^ 



But, though appearing to regard the axial rota- 

 tion of the earth as the cause of oceanic currents. Dr. 

 Hutton discards its action in the atmosphere ; though 

 he gives no reason to show why, if the arguments 

 used to disprove the existence of the action of vis- 

 inertia3 in the atmosphere be valid, they are not to 

 be regarded as equally valid if applied to the ocean. 



In speaking of the winds. Dr. Hutton mentions 

 that Descartes, Rohault, and others, considered the 

 diurnal rotation of the earth to be the cause of these 



^ A Philosojjhical and Mathematical Dictionary. By Charles 

 Hutton, LL D. London, 1815. Article, Current. 



