the. Water in the Gulf-fir earn. ^39 
Eeat, though tne furrounding water where I obferved it was 
io° below the fuppofed original temperature of the water which 
forms the current. From this fmall diminution of the heat, in 
a diftance, probably" of 300 miles, fome idea may be acquired 
of the vaft body of fluid which lets out of the gulf of Mexico, 
and of the great velocity of its motion. Numerous obferva- 
tions on the temperature of this ftream, in every part of it, 
and at different feafons of the year, compared with the heat of 
the water in the furrounding Teas, both within and without 
the tropic, would, I apprehend, be the beft means of afcer- 
taining its nature, and determining every material circumftance 
of its movement, efpecially if the effect of the current in 
pufhing fhips to the northward is carefully attended to, at the 
fame time with. the obfervations upon its heat,. 
On the 25th of September 1777, as the fliips which had 
tranfported Sir william howe’s army upChefapeak Bay were 
returning toward the Delaware, with the fick and ft ores, they 
were overtaken, between Cape Charles and Cape Hinlopen, by 
a violent gale of wind, which, after, fome variation, fixed ulti- 
mately at N.N.E. and continued five days without intermiflion. 
It blew fo hard that we were conftantly lofing ground, and 
driving to the fouthward : we alfo purpofely made fome eafiing to 
keep clear of the dangerous fhoals which lie off Cape Hatteras. 
The 2 8th. at noon our latitude, was. 36°: 40' N. and the heat 
of the fea all day about 65°. On the 29th our latitude was- 
36 2' ; we had, therefore, in the courfe of thefe twenty- four 
hours, , been driven by the wind 38 nautical miles to the fouth- 
warci 
