il2 OBSERVATIONS ON THE CURRENTS. 



(403.) Easterly Drift from the Gulf Stream, on the North and N.E. sides 

 of the Bahamas, dtc. — The Gulf Stream about the Bahamas appears to have 

 a drift or tendency to the Eastward ; and there is reason to believe that 

 an off-set of the Stream, from without the Matanilla Bank, sets, if not 

 generally, very frequently, to the Eastward and S.E. It would seem as if 

 the Stream, in passing Eastward along the Southern Florida Kays, still kept 

 on this Easterly course with a considerable rate over the shallow Bahama 

 Banks, and in the deep channels to cause very uncertain streams. 



Captain Livingston said : — " The notices we have, tend to prove that an 

 Easterly set-off from the Gulf Stream sets to the Northward of the 

 Bahamas ; of this I am so firmly convinced, that if in charge of a ship 

 from Havana, or even New Orleans, bound to Jamaica, I should, if allowed 

 to follow my own plan, run out of the Strait of Florida, and attempt 

 making my passage with the aid of this set-off. This is to be understood, 

 in case I should not have Westerly winds in the Southern parallels ; for 

 such winds are, I am told, more frequent than formerly ; and I know that 

 they are by no means of rare occurrence on the S.W. of Cuba." 



(404.) The latter remarks would be adduced by many to prove that the 

 surface of the Gulf Stream is roof-shaped, higher in the centre than at the 

 sides, and that any floating body remaining inactive on it has a tendency 

 to drift to its margins, especially to the Eastward and South-Eastward. 

 How far this assumption will be borne out by more exact observation, it 

 is difficult to judge, but there certainly seems to be some ground for the 

 opinion, as its edges especially are marked by a larger collection of Gulf- 

 weed and other drift matter than are found in the centre. Again, there 

 seems to be a tendency for vessels to be floated to the East and S.E. with- 

 out their knowing it. It has been urged by Captain Maury that this may 

 be owing to the effect of the earth's rotation, which runs the current from 

 under the ship, in the same way, as he says, the tendency of a railway 

 train going North or South, is to run off the rails to the Eastward of its 

 route. This was made the subject of experiment by M. Foucault and 

 others ; but we know so little that it were futile to argue on it. 



(405.) In the Northern regions of the Stream, when the cold upon the 

 land is in winter most intense, which is generally between December and 

 March, heavy and continued gales very frequently prevail, which commonly 

 proceed from between the North and West, across the course of the Stream, 

 from Cape Hatteras until past George's Shoal, and bend its direction to 

 the Eastward. Being aided at the same time by the discharge of the great 

 bays and rivers, increased by the force of the wind blowing down them, 

 and the constant supply of Stream along the coast of Carolina, the whole 

 produces so strong a current to the Eastward as to render it impossible for 

 a sailing ship to approach the coast until a change of wind commences. 



During the prevalence of a Southerly or Easterly wind, which is not so 

 common here, it has been found that the Current is forced close to, and in 

 some parts upon, the edge of soundings ; being thus pent in between the 

 wind and the shoal grounds near shore, the breadth is greatly diminished, 

 and the velocity proportionately increased. This circumstance has been 

 in particular observed from about the longitude of Block Island, along the 

 edge of the Nantucket Bank, thence beyond George's Bank, and also along 



