304 OBSEEYATIONS ON THE CUEKENTS. 



Captain Williams, in 1788, encountered, between the parallels of 42' and 

 49°, very strong Westerly gales ; but particularly between the 16th and 24th 

 of January, when, at intervals, it blew with uncommon violence. It varied 

 two or more points, both to the North and S.W., but blew longest from 

 the Northern point; and extended, as subsequently appeared, from the 

 coast of Nova Scotia to that of Spain. 



•' Within 60 or 70 leagues of the meridian of Scilly, on the 30th of 

 January, between the parallels of 49° and 50°, the effect of the Current was 

 first experienced, which set the ship to the North of her intended parallel, 

 by nearly half a degree, in the interval between two observations of latitude ; 

 namely, in two days. The wind, ever afterward, prevented the ship from 

 regaining the parallel; for although the Northern set was trifling, from the 

 31st until she arrived near Scilly, yet the wind, being scant and light, 

 never enabled her to overcome the tendency of the Current. It is also to 

 be observed that the direction of the Current was much more Westerly 

 than Northerly; the ship crossed it on so very oblique a course as to be 

 in it a long time, and was driven, as it appears, nearly 90 miles to the 

 West by it; having soundings in 73 fathoms, in the latitude of Scilly, and 

 afterwards ran 150 miles by the log, directly East, before she reached the 

 length of the Islands ; running, in effect, 120 miles, and shallowed the 

 water only 9 fathoms. 



" The Current was not only sensible by the observations of latitude, but 

 by ripplings on the surface of the water, and by the direction of the lead 

 line. In consequence of all, the ship was driven to the North of Scilly, 

 and barely able to lay a course through the passage between those islands 

 and the Land's End. 



" There being no timekeeper on board, the longitude was uncertain ; 

 but it was concluded that the Current, at times, extends to 180 miles West 

 of Scilly, and runs close to the West of the islands. The breadth of the 

 stream, where the Hector crossed over it, was supposed to be about 90 



miles. 



" A journal of the Atlas, East India ship. Captain Cooper, furnishes 

 much clearer proofs, both of the existence of the Current, and the rate of 

 its motion. This ship, outward bound, in January, 1787, had advanced 

 55 leagues to the Westward of Ushant, when violent gales began at South, 

 and for four days continued between that point and W. by S. ; dm-ing 



Among the names of the contributors to the work on the Currents, that of General 

 Edward Sabine is conspicuous. In the year 1825, this gentleman published his Account 

 of Experiments to determine the Figure of the Earth by means of a Pendulum vibrating seconds 

 in different Latitudes, as well as on various subjects of philosophical enquiry, in which he 

 refers to the subject of Ocean Currents in the following terms : — 



" On a general review of the Currents .particularized on the Pheasant's progress (in 

 1822) in her voyage, commencing at Sierra Leone and terminating at New York, it was 

 found that she was indebted to their aid, on the balance of the whole account, and in 

 the direction of her course from port to port, not less than sixteen hundred geographical 

 miles, the whole distance being nine thousand, afiording a very striking exemplification 

 of the importance of a correct knowledge of the Currents of the Ocean to persons 

 engaged in its na^^gation ; and, consequently, of the value of the information in the 

 acquisition and arrangement of which Major Rennell passed the latter years of his moet 

 aseful life." 



