344 OBSEUVATIONS ON THE CUiiKENTS. 



miles West ; in 60i° W., 16 miles W.S.W. ; in 62^ W. (70 miles N.N.E. 

 from Barbuda), 10 miles N.W. ; and off Sombrero, 7 miles W.N.W. 



The wind observed was about N.E., between the Canary Islands and 

 35° W. ; thence East, with a little South in it as the Caribbee Islands were 

 approached. 



The temperature of the sea surface was 64° F. at the Canaries, and 

 increased, as the voyage proceeded, to 75° at Sombrero. A temperature 

 of about 46|° was found right across, at a depth of about 500 fathoms, 

 and at 1,000 fathoms the temperature varied from 37° to 39°. Bottom 

 temperature, 34° to 36°. 



(304.) As it would be beyond the scope of this work to give a series 

 of monthly charts, like those published by our Meteorological Office, 

 although they are very interesting and most important, our remarks must 

 be limited to those verbal extracts from that work, such as have been 

 given previously. 



The Westerly Drift* — Under this name are included the Currents of 

 the vast central expanse of the North Atlantic Ocean, bounded on the 

 East by the North African Current, on the South by the Guinea Current, 

 on the West by the chain of the West India Islands, and the Northerly 

 and North-Easterly portion of the Gulf Stream, and on the North by the 

 Easterly part of the Gulf Stream. 



The Westerly set may be considered to commence at the 30th meridian. 

 From lat. 8° N., as its mean Southern limit, to the parallel of 20° N., the 

 set is more constant and steadier than it is farther Northward. Indeed, 

 as the latitude increases, the regularity of the set and the rate decrease. 

 Here the latter averages from 12 to 24 miles a day, and this part of the 

 Drift enters the Caribbean Sea with the Equatorial Current. Between 

 the parallels of 20° and 25° N. the Drift averages from 8 to 12 miles, and 

 can be traced to about long. 63° W. From 25° to 30° N. the set is 

 irregular, and the rate from 4 to 1 miles, traceable also to long. 63° W. 

 Between 30° and 40° N. the set is so irregular in direction and feeble in 

 force as to lead to the conclusion that here the true Westerly Drift does 

 not exist. 



From lat. 36° N., long. 65° W., to the Bahamas, along the right edge 

 of the Gulf Stream, we find evidence of a counter-current setting to tha 

 S.W., and then to the South, at about 12 miles a day ; and about lat 

 28° N., long. 78° W., turning to the S.E., in conformity with the contoui 

 of the Bahama Shoals. This South-Easterly Current is probably periodicaL 

 and seems at times to extend to long. 63° W., in lat. 34° N., its greatest 

 rate not exceeding 15 miles a day. About long. 64° W., from lat. 20° to 

 27° N., there is a feeble Northerly set, but not supported by many obser- 

 vations. 



(305.) In January the Westerly Drift of the North Equatorial Current 

 seems cv^ii^iied to the Torrid zone, and to vary from 6 to 24 miles per day. 

 There are indicaiions of an Easterly Drift in lat. 23° N. Farther North 

 the observations are deficient and conflicting, but indicate a Drift to the 

 •Southward of West. 



• By this term it is fco be understood fchat what we call the North Equatorial Curraat 

 or Drift is meant. 



