THE OCEAN CURRENTS AROUND AUSTRALIA. 189 



Ross in 1841, the French frigate "La Venus" in 1832, Oapt. 

 Wilkes in 1840, H.M.S. "Challenger" in 1874, the U.S.S. 

 "Tuscarora " in 1874-6, and S.M.S. "Gazelle" in 1875. 



It is necessary to remember that the observations were 

 confined in most cases, to one season of the year, so that 

 the results must be regarded as applying to that particular 

 time and place only. It will thus be evident that from the 

 paucity of the observations available, any conclusions 

 arrived at concerning the ocean currents around Australia, 

 must be regarded as more or less tentative. 



The South Australian Current. — The whole of the 

 southern shore of Australia, from Oape Leu win to Tasmania, 

 is swept by that largest and grandest of all streams, which 

 is impelled on its majestic way by the anti-trades, or 

 roaring forties, or the "brave west winds," so called by 

 the illustrious Maury. 



The unobstructed path of this wind, completely round 

 the earth, between south latitudes 40° and 50° approxim- 

 ately, creates an easterly drift of the surface water known 

 as the Southern Ocean Current. There is an indraft of 

 water from the Antarctic Ocean, in a north-easterly direc- 

 tion, and so vast a quantity of cold water in the immediate 

 vicinity of our southern shores has a very pronounced 

 effect on the climate of a large portion of the continent. 



There is also an indraft of warm water from the Indian 

 Ocean which, having no outlet to the north, as in the case 

 of the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, must discharge the 

 whole of its warm and comparatively light waters to the 

 southward. 



We are unfortunately destitute of information as to the 

 width or depth or velocity or location of this discharge, 

 but we know of a warm southerly and easterly surface 

 drift from the vicinity of Oape Leuwin, at the south-west 

 corner of Australia, and the "Challenger" observations 



