70 CURRENTS AND TYPHOONS. 



into the North Pacific, the other by Davis Straits into 

 the Atlantic. On the south coast of Korea a cold 

 current sets regularly to the south-west, doubtless a 

 portion of the arctic stream. "When surveying the 

 islands off this peninsula, the difference of temperature 

 of the water in their neighbourhood from that of the 

 Yellow Sea, a few miles to the northward, was found 

 to be very great. 



During the hot month of August it was quite 

 refreshing to return from the Makaw group, where the 

 water was warm, to the cool waters so near. The 

 temperature of the atmosphere was influenced so much 

 that at night a blanket was quite enjoyable. The 

 specific gravity of the water in these two localities is 

 the same, proving the cold current to be oceanic, and 

 not from any large river flowing from the interior and 

 emptying its waters into the sea in that neighbourhood. 

 I feel sure that the localities influenced by this arctic 

 current in its southern course must be rich in subjects 

 of natural history, and well worthy the notice of the 

 scientific world. The line of the Kuril Islands, the 

 eastern and north-eastern shores of Yesso, the sea of 

 Japan, and the coast of Korea, are all, comparatively 

 speaking, hew ground for examination. The few col- 

 lectors who have had the opportunity of visiting these 



