CHAPTEK III. 



CUEEENTS AND TYPHOONS. 



The equatorial current of the Pacific flowing from 

 the south passes between the Ladrone and Philippine 

 Islands, then it has a north-westerly direction; its course 

 afterwards trends more directly to the northward, and 

 by the time it reaches the coast of Japan the body of 

 this great warm stream of water is flowing to the north- 

 east, following the line of the south coast of Japan. 

 The whole of this part of Japan is influenced by the 

 Black Stream or " Kuro Siwo," as the natives call it : 

 a very good name for it, the water being of the deepest 

 blue. After reaching the south-east corner of the 

 islands, instead of turning to the north, — the line the 

 coast takes, — it retains the north-east direction towards 

 Behring's Straits. 



