348 OBSEKVATIONS ON THE CUREENT3. 



dealt with in the next Section. For an idea of its strength and direction 

 in the Equatorial region, between the longitudes of 10^ and 40^ W., the 

 reader is referred to the diagrams illustrating the Best Monthly Routes 

 Across the Equator. 



(312.) It will be seen that, throughout the breadth of this Ocean, the 

 set of the stream is not to S.W. or N.W., as might be expected from the 

 direction of the Trade Winds, which may be taken as the prime mover of 

 these mighty drifts, but Weskvard. This fact would seem to indicate that 

 the rotation of the earth on its axis has more to do with its motion than 

 has usually been attributed to it. But our present knowledge of the sub- 

 ject is not sufficiently extensive or accurate to define what amount of 

 action is due to that source, or how much to the wind, lunar influences, 

 or temperature, all of which combine to produce the phenomena we are 

 considering. Theoretical speculations, however, are not necessary in a 

 practical work, although they may be interesting. 



(313.) In the " Sailing Directory for the Caribbee or West India 

 Islands," by A. G. Findlay, will be found " Remarks on the Currents of 

 the Atlantic and West Indies, made by Lieutenant A. H. Bisschop 

 Greevelink, in the EcJio, a brig of the Dutch Royal Navy, during four 

 years of service, 1833 — 1837," and which describes the route of that vessel 

 from England to Surinam, in August and September, 1833. " On the 

 evening of the 13th of the month, the Echo, having arrived in lat. IT'^ N., 

 and long. 35° W., lost the Trade Wind, and the wind then shifted to the 

 N.W., with a strong breeze ; gloomy weather, and much rain, during the 

 twenty-four hours. The following day the wind, diminishing, passed to 

 the S.W. and S.S.E., and terminated in a calm; currents weak and 

 variable to the S.W. and Eastward. 



" On the morning of the 16th, in lat. 14° 40', long. 30° 20', a light breeze 

 sprang up from the S.E., and from that time till we reached the coast we 

 had to struggle with a never-ceasing variety of wind and weather, continual 

 rains with squalls, and scarce a day passing without lightning in one or 

 other quarter of the horizon. On the 18th we passed by several ripplings 

 or eddies, being then in lat. 12°, and long. 39° 30' W. They usually stretched 

 from East to West, and were often seen to cover the whole surface, every- 

 where boiling and bubbling as in a cauldron. Current always weak, and 

 during the last forty-eight hours to the West and W.N.W. at a rate of half 

 a mile an hour. 



" After losing the Trade Wind we had to creep over more than 900 miles, 

 as the wind had left us, in every appearance, for ever; the rains were 

 copious and continual in this space, and lightning was seen very frequently. 

 On the 18th (lat. 11° 52', long. 39° 25'), we passed through a number of 

 eddies; and on the 24th (lat. 8° 3', long. 45° 37'), the first indication of a 

 change in the colour of the sea became visible ; yet it was slight, and may 

 be attributed to a branch of the Northerly current observed in the succeed- 

 ing day. On the 27th (lat. 5° 52', long. 48° 38'), we received a gentle S.E. 

 breeze, which brought us, though slowly, toward the coast. In the night 

 of the 28th (lat. 5° 7', long. 49° 56'), we crossed the edge of meeting currents 

 from the Ethiopic Ocean and Brasilian shore, and from the Marauon ; 

 after which, we entered the boundary of the tides. In the evening o£ 



