488 CURRENTS AND WHALING. 



Tracing this stream in a direction opposite to its course to the most 

 distant part of Nova Scotia, it is found to be a part of one that flows 

 southwards along the shore of Labrador, and which is well known 

 by the name of that country. The Labrador Stream therefore flows 

 alono- the coast of the New Continent, from Davis's Straits as far to 

 the south at least as Cape Hatteras. It is consequently of that cha- 

 racter which is generally known as polar. 



One of the strongest facts in support of the extension of this stream 

 to the farthest northern point we have named, lies in the transporta- 

 tion southward of vast masses of ice along the coast of Labrador, 

 which are met annually in May, June, and July, off the banks of 

 Newfoundland. This is a cause which affects in a most remarkable 

 manner the climates of Newfoundland and Nova Scotia, and causes 

 the harbours even of the latter country to remain ice-bound to a late 

 period in the year. Nor is its influence believed to be of small 

 amount in the climate of our Eastern, or that of the sea-coast of our 

 Northern States. 



The phenomena of the icebergs develope another fact in relation to 

 this current, namely, that where the influence of the current ceases to 

 be felt upon the surface, the body of its waters still continues its course 

 southwards beneath the flow of the Gulf Stream, which floats upon it 

 precisely as the fresh water of the large rivers of the New World are 

 to be seen for leagues from the shore flowing on the salt and denser 

 water beneath. The phenomenon to which we have reference is, 

 that icebergs near the Grand Banks have frequently been observed 

 moving rapidly to the southward and westward, in places where ships 

 experience a current to the northward and eastward. The icebergs 

 floating by the laws of specific gravity, with no more than one-tenth 

 of their mass above the surface, evidently are carried onward by a 

 stream flowing in the former direction, against whose force the action 

 of the superficial current on a part of their surface is of no avail, 

 while ships are wholly immersed in the latter, and obey its influence. 



Here then we have an instance of two currents flowing one above 

 the other, in directions almost opposite to each other. 



The Labrador Stream, besides being overspread by the waters of 

 the Gulf, the surface part of it is doubtless deflected from its flow to 

 the southward, and forced along the eastern coast till it is obstructed 

 very materially in the vicinity of George's Bank. 



The position and supposed dangers of this bank, and the narrow- 



