280 METEOROLOGICAL REPORT, 1868, 



"Again — there seems to be a space lying to tlie westward of 

 the ' S. W. monsoon of the line,' on the coast of Africa, which 

 at certain seasons should be avoided, as it is found that ships in 

 this space have been doing little or nothing, while those further 

 to the eastward have made good way to the southward. 



"A very cursory examination of the registers is sufficient to 

 show that at certain seasons of the year ships, bound to the 

 southward, should avoid the coast of South America, or else 

 their passage will be prolonged quite as much as it would be at 

 other seasons by their keeping too close to the African coast. 



" It seems also probable that by investigating the region lying 

 to the eastward of the West India Islands, it may be possible 

 to trace the origin of the hurricanes with which those islands are 

 so frequently visited. They make their first appearance at the 

 Windward Islands as cyclones completely developed, and there- 

 fore must have taken their rise somewhere v>dthin the district 

 under discussion. 



"During the hurricane season it has been found at times that 

 ships passing to the westward of the Cape Verde Islands have 

 felt a S. E. gale, which may turn out to have been the N.~E. 

 quarter of one of these storms, which are seldom noticed until 

 they travel many degrees to the westward of the meridian of the 

 Cape Verdes. 



"Lastly, much has to be learnt v/Ith reference to the currents 

 of this part of the sea, especially in the Gulf of Guinea. 



" We find the Guinea current, with a temperature of 80° or 

 90°, running to the eastward, while in close proximity to it, on 

 its southern edge, we meet the equatorial current running to 

 the westward Avith a temperature of 70° or even lower. One 

 very careful observer has recorded a temperature of onlj^ 66° in 

 the Guinea current itself, showing that variations in surface tem- 

 perature, similar to those knov/n to exist in the Gulf stream, are 

 traceable in this current so close to the equator. 



"The question of the surface temperature of the sea, the 

 discussion of which throws such an important light on the 

 course of ocean currents, has also attracted the attention of the 



