12 



INDEX TO THE PACIFIC ISLANDS. 



current flowing to the east. Still farther observations on the currents are needed, for 

 their influence, although of less interest to navigators in these days of steam-propelled 

 vessels has most important bearing on the peopling of the different groups. 



The cases of Japanese junks recorded as drifting to the Hawaiian Islands and 

 to the north-west coast of America have often been referred to, and it is well known 

 that the inhabitants of the Alaskan Islands obtain much of their fuel as driftwood 

 from the Asiatic coast: it should also be noted that many of the largest and most 

 famous double canoes of the Hawaiians were hewn from logs of Oregon pine brought 

 to the shores of Niihau and Kauai by the waves. I myself saw dozens of such logs 

 in 1864, some of great size, some bored by Teredo, others covered with barnacles, along 

 the shores of Niihau. To the same shores are brought lumps of fine pumice which 

 the ancient Hawaiians freely used to polish their canoes and wooden dishes. 



Winds of the Pacific. — In some considerable measure accelerators if not 

 originators of oceanic currents are the prevailing winds. The two agencies combined 

 have had a large part in the distribution of animal and vegetable life through this 

 ocean. In the eastern half of the Pacific, which is comparatively free from land, the 

 north-east trade winds blow with marked regularity as far south as the equatorial belt 

 of calms which encircles the globe nearly parallel with the equator, and in the southern 

 hemisphere the south-cast trade winds blow as regularly to the same belt where they 

 rise and return in the upper regions to the polar seas whence they came. Such is in 

 general the plan of air currents in the open ocean of the eastern half, but the north 

 and south limit of each of these trade winds varies with the season, and wherever isl- 

 ands occur a variation results not always easy to explain: even the very low coral 

 islands are quite sufficient to change the force and direction of the trade winds, substi- 

 tuting a land and sea breeze system. The following table, taken from Kerhallet, will 

 show clearly the variation of the "Trades": 





A TABLE OF Till-: LIMITS OK THE "TRADES" AS AFFECTED BY CHANGE OF SEASONS. 



January . 

 February ■ 

 March ... 



April 



May 



June 



July 



August . . . 

 September 

 October ■ 

 November 

 December. 



Till. AH LIMIT 



OF THE XK. 



21 (I - N. 



OF THE BE. 



:i:>° 25' 8. 

 28 59 

 3! 10 



.-, 



JS 



24 



41 



25 







4:1 



25 



28 



30 



24 



IS 



20 



24 



.".I 



1; 



2:! 



27 



11 



28 



:«) 







22 



33 



EQ.l'ATOItlAI. LIMIT 



OK THE NE. 



(i° 30' N. 



4 1 



8 15 



4 45 



!i 5s 



1 2 1; 

 1 .l :i 



13 56 



1 2 20 



5 12 



OF THE ME. 



:l° 0' N. 

 2 (I 



5 50 

 2 (I 



:i :i(i 



2 30 

 5 4 



2 :;:> 



x 11 



8 32 



1 5K 



BREADTH OF THE 



INTERVENING ZONE 

 OF CALMS. 



:i° 30' 



2 1 



2 25 



2 45 



4 16 

 7 2S 

 7 1 



12 30 



5 45 

 s 4s 



The division of the trades on the belt of the "Doldrums" is always to the north 

 of the equator, perhaps owing to the unequal distribution of land and water in the two 



hemispheres, for representing land by 100 the proportion of water in the north hemi- 



L96] 



