52 



temperature of the Gulf-stream is consequently 

 equal to that gof the seas of the tropics in the 

 18th degree of latitude ; as for instance, in the 

 parallel of Porto Rico, and the islands of Cape 

 Vkr*L . " ;>o jW^mm '^l 



To the east of the port of Boston, and on %\m 

 meridian of Halifax, under 41° 25' of latitude, 

 and 67° of longitude, the current is near 80 

 leagues broad. From this point it turns sud- 

 denly to the east, so that it's western edge, as it 

 bends, becomes the western limit of the running 

 waters, skirting the extremity of the great bank 

 of Newfoundland, which Mr. Volney ingeniously 

 calls the bar of the mouth of this enormous sea 

 river*. The cold waters of this bank, which 

 according to my experiments are at the temper- 

 ature of 8-7° or 10° (7° or 8° R.) present a strike 

 ing contrast with the waters of the torrid zone, 

 driven to the north by the Gulf-stream, the tem- 

 perature of which is from 21° to 22 5° (7° to 18° 

 R.). In these latitudes, the caloric is distributed 

 in a singular manner throughout the ocean ; 

 the waters of the bank are 9*4° colder than the 

 neighbouring sea ; and this sea is 3° colder than 

 the current. These zones can have no equili- 

 brium of temperature, having a source of heat, 



* Tableau du climat et du soldes Etats-Unis, T. i,p. 2a0 ? 

 Homme, Tableau des Vents, des Maries et des Courants, T. 

 i, p. 228. 



