10 ANNIVERSARY ADDRESS. 



the bottom of the Northern Atlantic, as described in that beautiful 

 work " The Depths of the Sea," has been confirmed, by more 

 recent discoveries on the present voyage, and there is little doubt 

 that the cretaceous deposits are still going on almost as they 

 were during the chalk era, 



But the soundings that have been made in the Atlantic have 

 led to further conclusions. They have made known the variety, 

 densities, temperatures, and depths of the sea currents and strata 

 of water between Europe, America, and Africa, and have shown 

 the surprising fact that, as far north as the Bay of Biscay it is to 

 an Antarctic current, and not as generally believed to an Arctic 

 one, that the deep water there and under the Equator is colder 

 than that of the Northern Atlantic, so much nearer to the Arctic 

 regions. The Arctic current is said to be cut off from the 

 Antarctic. The cold Antarctic acts like the Grulf Stream in 

 expanding and dying out; and is found, where it enters the 

 North Atlantic, to have a thickness of 700 fathoms. Its breadth 

 is stated to be 500 miles. (Eeport of 15th December.) The 

 coldest water was obtained in the South Atlantic section, close to 

 the American coast, where it was 33'1° E. at a depth of 2,150 

 fathoms. 



At 300 miles west of the Cape of G-ood Hope the w r ater is 

 colder at all depths down to 1,500 fathoms, continuing nearly 

 equable to the bottom, which is half a degree warmer than at the 

 Equator. The warm Agulhas current was found eighty miles further 

 west, and the temperature was 60° E., or 4° E. higher thau to the 

 east, the Table Bay water being much colder than that in Simon's 

 Bay. 



An interesting circumstance was noticed in the latter bay ; 

 with a S.E. wind the temperature was the same as outside the 

 land (in October), viz., 62° to Gl° F., but a N.W. gale drove this 

 w r ater out of the bay. It was replaced in six hours by water at 

 a temperature of 51°. So soon as the N.W. wind ceased, the 

 water rose to the temperature of the returning Agulhas stream. 

 The surface temperature of 51° was colder than any found on the 



