30 H. C. RUSSELL. 



CURRENT PAPERS, No. 5. 

 By H. C. Russell, b.a., c.m.g., f.r.s. 



[With Diagrams.] 



[Bead before the Royal Society of N. 8. Wales, November 7, 1900. .] 



This, the fifth list of current papers covers a period of thirteen 

 months, i.e., from October 1899 to November 1900 inclusive. 

 The greatest number of papers received was 14 in February 1900. 

 It is noteworthy that this is the first time I have had the greatest 

 number of current papers in February. In 1899 the greatest 

 number of papers was 14 in August; in 1898 the majority of 

 papers 12, landed in October. In 1897, 10 papers landed in May; 

 and of those in 1896, 11 landed in December. It thus appears 

 that the majority of current papers has never been twice in the 

 same month of the year so far. This fact may I think be taken 

 to prove that there are changes in the ocean currents, and if this 

 service is maintained, valuable data will be collected on the several 

 tracks leading to Australia. On the mainland our meteorological 

 work shews great changes in the winds from year to year. 



In paper No. 2 (Vol. xxx., p. 206), I pointed out that an 

 unusually strong prevailing N.W. wind over Australia had 

 altered the distribution of current papers to some extent, and 

 this time an interesting fact bearing upon this subject is found 

 in the drift of No. 550, which was put into the sea off Cape 

 Horn, and found its way on to the West Coast of Africa, in 

 Ashantee. Assuming that the drift was a straight one it travelled 

 5,350 miles in a N.N.W. direction. Now all the current papers 

 before, which have come to me, from Cape Horn have landed on 

 Australia, and the few papers I have had from the Atlantic 

 Ocean have drifted toward Mexico, except a few from the English 

 Channel. 



So far, it has not been possible to say definitely, the percentage 

 of current papers received, compared with those thrown over to 

 drift. But the practice has been very kindly carried out for me 



