THE ABCTIC OE LABEADOB CUEEENT. 439 



curreut, with Southerly and S.W. winds, sets to the Eastward. The natural 

 tendency of the flood-tide is toward the coast. When it strikes the island 

 it flows to the Eastward, over the N.E. Bank, and to the Westward, over 

 the N.W. Bank, and passes the West end in a N.W. direction, so rapidly 

 that it carries the sand with it ; and the hills of the West end, being high 

 and narrow, they are undermined at their base by it, and tumble down 

 some thousands of tons of sand at a time. This the current beneath 

 catches, and sweeps away to the N.W., increasing the bank. So soon as 

 the current passes the extreme point of the dry bar, it tends more across 

 the bank to the N.E. ; the motion of the sea contributing to keep the sane" 

 in motion, the current carries it to the N.E,, and spreads to the N.W." 



(439.) In following the course of the Arctic Current along the coast of the 

 United States, we have no very clear notion of its mean velocity; it is 

 certainly very feeble. But that it does run to the Southward, we have 

 many evidences, besides the temperature of its waters. It is probable that 

 the surface, at least, is obedient to the varying of the winds, which blow over 

 it, and after a long continuance of Easterly winds it often sets directly on 

 shore. But it preserves its course almost unimpaired and quite appreciable 

 on the surface as far South as Cape Hatteras, after which its presence does 

 not appear so manifest, except as a submarine current. In (398), &c., the 

 presence of the cool water it transports is shown to exist, in a great degree, 

 even close beneath the warmest and strongest parts of the Gulf Stream. 



There is great evidence of current action all along the coast of the 

 United States beyond the Cape Cod Peninsula, itself of remarkable forma- 

 tion. The long straight lines of low alluvial shores, fronting extensive 

 shallow lakes, separated from the Ocean by narrow beaches thrown up by 

 the sea, all bespeak the work of the Ocean and its drifting waters. 



There is another singular feature, too, in the more Southern portions of its 

 course. The long lines of shoals which project seaward from Capes Hatteras, 

 Fear, Look-out, &c., that is, in the section where its surface action is no^ 

 so manifest, indicate some process going on which as yet has not been en 

 tirely explained. 



(440.) Between Cape Henry and Cape Hatteras many vessels have been 

 wrecked, owing, it is stated, to a strong current setting inshore, or to the 

 S.W., from about 6 miles South of Cape Henry to Cape Hatteras. Although 

 the Arctic or Labrador Current sets generally to the Southward, there is 

 reason to assume that near the coast of North Carolina its direction is 

 chiefly governed by the wind. It runs very strong, causing heavy rips, 

 which have every appearance of shoals to those who are not familiar with 

 them. Sometimes the current begins to run quite strong 24 hours in ad- 

 vance of the wind at the same place. The storm, which is almost certain 

 to follow, always sets in from the direction in which the current has started. 



The currents, over and in the vicinity of Hatteras Shoals, have a velocity 

 of 3 to 5 knots an hour, and are greatly influenced in direction and force 

 by the winds. The surface water of the Gulf Stream extends to within a 

 short distance of the outer shoals for some time after a continuation of 

 Northerly and Easterly winds. 



Vessels, therefore, should approach this coast with much caution, ob- 

 serving that between Cape Henry and the lighthouse on Currituck Beach, 



