THE CARIBBEAN SEA. 367 



The United States directions say that the drift current, off Morant 

 Kays, sets towards West and N.N.W., three-quarters of a knot an hour, 

 after the Trade Wind has been blowing fresh for a day or two. When the 

 Trade is hghter a current setting to the N.E. of East is frequently ex- 

 perienced. Vessels having occasion to pass near Morant Kays at night 

 should keep Northward of them. 



In March, 1889, the steamer Blake, when between Jamaica and Hon- 

 duras, to the S.W. of Pedro Bank, found the surface current running to 

 S.W. by W., gradually changing to the Westward to a depth of 130 

 fathoms, and tidal below that depth. Between Pedro Bank and Jamaica 

 a tidal or eddy current was found, setting to the Eastward. 



(342.) From Cape Antonio, the western extremity of Cuba, the Current 

 sets, at times, to the E.S.E., past the Isle of Pines. Captain Livingston 

 informed us that, in March, 1818, he found the current between the Great 

 Cayman and Isle of Pines to set in that direction, at the rate of fully 2^ 

 miles an hour, or 60 miles in the 24 hours. In August, 1817, he found the 

 set nearly the same, but the Current not half so strong. The Spanish 

 " Derrotero " says : — " From Gape de Cruz, on the South side of Cuba, it 

 is noticed that there is a, constant Current to the Westivard, with some 

 inclination to the Southward or Northward, and which has been known 

 sometimes to set 20 miles in a single day." In opposition to this the 

 oxact words of Captain Livingston are — " I have twice experienced a 

 strong Current, setting about E.S.E., between the Caymans and Isle of 

 Pines ; and on the latter of these occasions both my mate and myself 

 separately calculated it to set about about 60 miles per day, or 2^ miles 

 per hour. This, however, I incline to think is a very particular case, such 

 as may but seldom occur. The winds at this time were light and Westerly. 

 On the other occasion, so far as I recollect, it set about 12 or 14 miles 

 per day only. All my papers on these subjects have been lost ; but the 

 first instance was too remarkable to be forgotten." 



A further evidence of this is given by Captain Harry Miles, ship 

 Illustrious. " December 29th, 1858, in rounding Cape Antonio, I could 

 not detect any current. At times I have found it strong to S.E." 



(343.) Off the South side of Cuba, between Cape Antonio and Cape 

 Maysi, the current has frequently been found setting to the Eastward when 

 the moon is increasing, or in her first two quarters. It is represented 

 that it runs to the Eastward for a fortnight, and then to the Westward 

 about the same time. Coasters from the Caymans commonly take advan 

 tage of the Easterly Current for making their passage to Jamaica. 



From this information we may conjecture that the Current, which has 

 been described as setting to the E.S.E. from Cape Antonio to Cape 

 Maysi, is not permanent, but, at times, on the contrary, imperceptible, 

 according to the age of the moon ; and this has, we believe, been verified, 

 in several instance*, while the cause has remained unknown. 



Captain Manderson stated, that when a strong Easterly wind has been 

 blowing between Cuba and Florida, vessels heaving-to off the South side of 

 Cape Antonio, at about 6 miles from the shore, have, in the course of one 

 night, been carried against a strong sea breeze, nearly as high as Cape 

 Corrientes, being a distance of 30 miles. Captain P^owland Bourke, once 



