July 7, 1904] 



NATURE 



235 



die neap tides, wiien the tidal element has the least in- 

 fluence, the sixteen-hour period throws the direction of the 

 current entirely out of correspondence with the time of the 

 tide. 



Wind Influence. — It would be quite erroneous to suppose 

 that the wind always causes a drift in its own direction. 

 On the contrary, the set is primarily due to the nature of 

 the current, and if it has any definite direction of its own, 

 owing to the tide or other causes, it takes a strong wind 

 a considerable time to overcome this, even with currents 

 such as these, which do not exceed one Ivnot. 



A set of the current towards the point from which a 

 wind is about to come is in accord with the universal 

 testimony of the fishermen throughout these regions. Of 

 all the signs of bad weather, it is the one which they appear 

 to find the most trustworthy. In the summer, bad weather 

 usually comes from the south-east and " blows itself out " 

 from that direction ; but later on, in the autumn, the wind 

 chops round to the north-west before the storm is over. 

 Along the south shore, it is only during ebb tide that there 

 is a weak set to the south-east. .\ny strong set to the 

 south-east or south is a sign of bad weather. The fisher- 

 men regard this as an unfailing indication, and at once run 

 for shelter. The main feature is the fact of the current 

 setting " into the weather," as they express it, and it is 

 difficult to give a satisfactory explanation for this. The 

 actual direction of the current is necessarily modified by 

 local conditions and guided by the trend of the shore, but 

 the greater scope and freedom the current has, the more 

 directly it appears to set towards the coming wind. And 

 further, it will set in either direction in accord with the 

 expected wind. If this behaviour is due to difference of 

 barometer, it is not easy to understand why the water 

 should be the first to feel a change, before the wind itself 

 begins to blow. 



Density and Temperature of the Water. — Extended 

 observations of density and temperature were taken during 

 the season. This was done in the hope of tracing the 

 movement of the water, as this method had proved so 

 serviceable in the Gulf of St. Lawrence. The density of 

 the water was taken at the surface only. The variation 

 did not prove sufficient, however, to be relied upon as an 

 Indication of direction of movement. The temperature was 

 taken to a depth of 30 fathoms, and more was expected 

 from the temperature than from the density, as it was 

 hoped it would serve to trace the course of the Polar 

 current. The depth of 30 fathoms was found sufficient, 

 as the water was there at the freezing point throughout 

 the region examined, both south and east of Newfoundland, 

 during the whole season from May to September. All the 

 ihange which took place during the progress of the season 

 or from other causes was between the surface and 30 

 fathoms. The change of the temperature of the water also 

 afforded an interesting valuation for the amount of wind 

 disturbance, and the depth to which it e.xtended, under given 

 conditions. 



Two results were arrived at, which made the temperature 

 observations of little value for the purpose of tracing the 

 movement of the water by its 'temperature, and which it 

 will therefore be sufficient to mention briefly : — (i) The 

 temperature of the water at 30 fathoms is practically at 

 the freezing point in all parts of this region, from the 

 mouth of Placentia Bay to St. Johns. It varied only from 

 30i° to 34° F., and there was no change from one month 

 to another, from May to September. (2) The water of the 

 Polar current warms up quite as much on the surface as 

 the surface water elsewhere in this region. The general 

 Increase of the surface temperature along the south shore, 

 from St. Pierre to Trepassey, was from 365° in May to 

 50° in September, and the surface temperature of the Polar 

 current rose from an average of 345° at the end of May 

 *o 50^° at the middle of August. Whether this increase 

 of the surface temperature takes place during the progress 

 of the current southward, or whether this warmer surface 

 water flows over it from elsewhere, we have not sufficiently 

 extended observations to determine. But for the guidance 

 of the mariner, it is evident that the lower temperature 

 cannot be depended on as an indication of the current-belt 

 itself. 



A very interesting result was met with, however, on 

 account of the rapid fall in temperature from the surface 



NO. 18 10. VOL. 70] 



downwards. The temperature proved to be a valuable 

 indication of wind disturbance. During heavy winds, 

 especially when off-shore, the surface water was driven out 

 to the oflfing, and the cold under-water came up to the 

 surface. A heavy fall in temperature would thus occur. 

 For example, towards the end of August, the surface 

 temperature over the area from Cape Spear to Cape Race 

 was 50°. There followed during three days 13 12 miles' of 

 westerly winds, ranging from north-west to west-south- 

 west, when the surface temperature within three miles of 

 the shore fell to 36" and 34°, and in a belt ten miles wide 

 along the windward shore it was below 45°. Careful 

 observations and some special runs were made to ascertain 

 the amount of lateral displacement of the current and the 

 depth of disturbance due to a measured mileage of wind. 

 This was done without loss of time, as the weather was 

 then too heavy to carry on work at anchor. Later, when 

 the weather moderated, the temperature again furnished 

 a basis for a very fair estimate of the rate at which the 

 current-belt moved back laterally to resume its usual 

 course. 



Ice as an Indication of Current. — To infer the behaviour 

 of a current from the drift of ice with any certainty, the 

 indications given by flat ice and by icebergs must be care- 

 fully distinguished. The flat or pan ice runs with the 

 surface current, and is much influenced by the wind, 

 whereas the icebergs indicate the average movement of the 

 body of the water as a whole, and the wind has no appreci- 

 able effect upon them. This distinction is well known to 

 sealers, and they habitually take advantage of it. When 

 working against a gale of wind, they will moor their vessel 

 to an iceberg, and lie in its lee while the small ice goes 

 past with the drive of the wind, because, as they express it, 

 the wind takes no hold on an iceberg at all. They thus 

 save a long drift to leeward. It is thus from the icebergs 

 rather than from the flat ice that we can find indications 

 of value. 



UNIVERSITY AND EDUCATIONAL 

 INTELLIGENCE. 



Oxford. — The following is the text of the speeches 

 delivered by Prof. Love in presenting recipients of the 

 degree of D.Sc. honoris causa at the Encaenia, June 22, in 

 the presence of the Chancellor of the university : — 



The Hon. Charles Algernon P.iirsons. 



Duobus fere millibus abhinc annis Heron .\lexandrinus 

 turbinem quemdam per ludum excogitavit, qui vapore calido 

 actus per tubos inflexos afflante converteretur. Carolus 

 Algernon Parsons inter Hibernos nobilissimus, scientiae 

 etiam laude insignis, ita Heronis vestigiis institit ut, quod 

 ille ludendi causa finxerat, ipse in usum nostrum con- 

 verteret, quo facilius homines naturae imperarent. Optime 

 sane meritus est de omnibus qui urbes habitant, quibus vias 

 et domos luce electrica hoc invento usus illustravit, neque 

 minus profuit Nerea temptantibus, cum his turbinibus 

 impulsae per altum naves celeritate inaudita ferantur recta 

 semper carina adeo ut navigantium incommoda magna ex 

 parte adleventur. 



SiGNOR GUGLIELMO MaRCONI. 



Hie est ille magus, Gulielmus Marconi, qui modum 

 invenit signorum ab ora in oram, a nave ad navem trans 

 maria immensa transmittendorum. Docuerat quidem 

 Maxwell, civis noster, vim electricam per aethera omnia 

 permeantem quasi fluctibus quibusdam perferri. Accessit 

 etiam Hertz, Germaniae ornamentum, qui ostendit quo 

 modo hi fiuctus ita regerentur ut tanquam procella quaedam 

 electrica procul exorta aliis in locis satis longinquis agnos- 

 ceretur. Marconi tandem, qua erat ingenii audacia, id 

 excogitavit ut his subsidiis usus locos disiunctissimos 

 quasi colloquendi quadam facultate coniungeret. Sollertia 

 igitur maxima, patientia vero admirabili praeditus, singula 

 impedimenta quae spei exsequendae obstabant felicissime 

 pervicit, iamque potest nullo vinculo, nullo filo intercedente, 

 quod vel oculi vel tactio deprehendere possint, super 

 dimidiam orbis terrarum partem signa transmittere. 



