The discovery of a tidal curront in Boring Strait and tho Arctic 

 Ocoan is not now, it having boon known to oxist and boon roportcd by 

 several navigators. Tlio boat oxpodition undor Conimandor Pullon, R.N,, 

 along tho north coast of Alaska, in 1849, found 18 inches rise aad fall 

 at Point Barrow and tho same at the mouth of the I'Mckenzio. ■ Richardson 

 speaks of tho ebb and flow of tho tide oast of the Mackenzie, Tho CORWIN 

 found 2 feet rise and fall at V/ankorcm and 3 foot in IGot zebus Sound, 

 Parry found a tidal current in Melville T;ith the flood tide setting to 

 the southward, W.H. Ball, United States Coast Survey, found a tidal 

 current in Bering Strait in 1880 with the flood tide, v;hich was the strong- 

 er, setting to the northward. 



One theory advanced in relation to the Bering Strait current is 

 that it is caused by the rivers emptying into Bering Sea and Norton Sound, 

 Tho effect of the rivers in Kotzebue Sound was remarked by Captain Beechoy, 

 R.N,, who, in speaking of a curront encountered between Point Hope and 

 Kotzebue Sound, says : 



It varied from?l-g-.. Ijo 3 miles per hour and was strongest inshore. 

 It was very constant, and the water was much fresher than the 

 ordinary sea water. 



He adds: 



It is necessary here to give some fu.rther particulars of this 

 current, in order that it may not be supposed that tho whole 

 body of v/ater between the two continents was setting into the 

 Polar Sea at so considerable a rate. By sinking the patent log 

 first 5 fathoms -and then 3 fathoms, and allowing it to remain 

 in tho first instance six hours and in the latter twelve hours, 

 it was clearly ascertained that there was no curront at either 

 of those depths. But at the distance of 9 foot from the surface 

 the motion of the water was nearly eq.ual to that at the top. 

 Hence, we must conclude that the current v;as superficial and con- 

 fined to a depth of between 9 and 12 feet. By the freshness of 

 water alongside. Captain Beechoy believed tho curront was oc- 

 casioned by tho many rivers -itiich at this time of the year empty 

 themselves into tho soa at different parts of the coast at 

 Schischmaroff Inlet, 



He further says: 



So far there is nothing extraordinary in the fact, but why this 

 body of water should continually press to the northv/ard in prefer- 

 ence to taking any other direction or gradually expending itself 

 in the sea is a question of considorablo interest, 



Tho remark applies T;ith equal force to such rivers in Kotzebue 

 Sound as pass through Bering Strait, while tho decreased specific gravity 

 of the river water, due to its higher temperature and freedom from salt, 

 v;ould prevent its readily mingling with the surrounding salt water, Tho 

 fact of its flovang northward through Bering Strait, notwithstanding the 

 course of tho current is broken by shoals, sand bars, capos, islands, 



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