Chap. XV.] REFUTATION OF OBJECTlOxNS. 1(57 



concerned, absolutely necessitate the formation of 

 currents westwards, both in the ocean and the at- 

 mosphere — those of the atmosphere having the greater 

 velocity ; because, since the circles of rotation in the 

 ocean, and still more in the atmosphere, are greater 

 than those of the surface on which they rest, there- 

 fore, unless the velocity of the motion of the ocean 

 and the air be greater than that of the surface on 

 which they rest, they must lag behind, forming cur- 

 rents westwards ; therefore, if in the motion of axial 

 rotation the air has the same velocity that the earth's 

 surface moves with, it must then have a relative 

 motion westwards over the surface of the earth. 



And, as far as the orbital motion of the earth is 

 concerned, that which is offered as an objection is not 

 logically an objection at all ; because, since in the 

 orbital motion of the earth all particles of the solid 

 surface of the earth move in equal ellipses with equal 

 velocities, therefore, the atmosphere, without chang- 

 ing the relative positions of its particles as regards 

 each other, might, by its particles moving in concen- 

 tric ellipses, keep pace with the earth, and at the same 

 time have a relative motion over the surface of the 

 earth in lines parallel with the plane of the ecliptic ; 

 and at a velocity amounting in the plane of the 

 ecliptic to more than sixty miles a day. 



It thus appears that, if taken literally, that which 

 has been offered as an objection to the possibility of 

 any current- creating action resulting from the motions 



