THE NOETH AFEICAN CUEEENT. 315 



exteuds generally about 10° from the land. South of the Canary Islands 

 the Current tends towards the West. It mingles with the Guinea Current 

 about lat. 7° N., and with the Westerly Drift along the meridian of 25° W., 

 reaching as far South as 7° N. As a South-Westerly current its rate is 

 about 12 miles. 



June. — The North African Current can be traced from lat. 40° to 9° N. 

 It still sends an Easterly current towards the Mediterranean, at a rate of 

 6 to 18 miles. Between the Canary and Cape Verde Islands its direction 

 is South- Westerly, but the stream is feeble, the rate being from 6 to 18 

 miles. It does not pass between the Cape Verde Islands and the coast, 

 but lies entirely to the Westward of these islands, where it soon becomes 

 merged in the Westerly Drift. Between lats. 20° and 9° N., longs. 

 23° and 30° W., it is stronger than elsewhere, its velocity ranging from 

 8 to 19 miles per day. 



In July the Current appears to be feeble and unsettled, and the indraught 

 to the Mediterranean is barely traceable. 



In August it does not seem that the Current is well maintained, nor is 

 there decided evidence of a set towards the Mediterranean ; however, the 

 observations in this month are deficient. 



September. — The North African Current can be traced to the Cape Verde 

 Islands, but it is feeble throughout its course. Very little tendency is 

 apparent towards the Mediterrnean ; indeed, the direction of the set is 

 sometimes opposite. 



In October the Current reaches to lat. 10° N., but it is feeble and irregular, 

 being best defined close to the coast. 



In November the Current is stronger and more regular than in September 

 and October. Off Portugal its set is E.S.E., and rate about 12 miles. It 

 can be traced as far South as lat. 9° N. 



In December the North African Current has become a steady flow, and 

 can be traced at times from lat. 40° N. to 10° N. In the region of the 

 Cape Verde Islands it loses force, and becomes less regular. 



(266.) In addition to these remarks we give, as in previous editions, the 

 particulars of various Bottles and other experiments, which are very in- 

 teresting, and will be serviceable in estimates of what amount of Current 

 may be expected in this part of the voyage. 



Toward the Bay of Biscay. — The ship Carshalton Park, Captain J. S. Park, on 

 returning from Jamaica to London, July, 1824, in lat. 48% long. 13", got into a 

 stream setting to the Southward, and which thence operated so strongly against 

 tlie ship, that some difficulty was found in getting sufficiently far to the Northward 

 for a good Channel track. The wind shifted suddenly from S.W. to North ; the 

 vessel immediately hauled up E. by S. ; and although the weather was fine, and 

 the water quite smooth, she made no better than a true E. by N. course.* 



South- Easterly Current off Channel Soundings. — In August, 1826, Captain Living- 

 ston, in the Jaiie, between lat. 48° 63', long. 16° 7', and Cape Clear, had a set of 



* The same ship, on the 10th of July, was on Channel soundings, the latitude by 

 meridian altitude of the biui, 48° 53' ; the longitude, by chronometer and lunar, 9° 44' 

 and 9" 66' respectively, "kept the ship E. i^ S. and generally East till 11.51 p.m., when, 

 by the moon's meridian altitude, it was found that the latitude was 49° 21'. We had 



