THE GULF STREAM. 
261 
commence much, before September, and in the mean 
time the tail of the Gulf Stream would still be wearing 
a channel in the ice towards the pole; so—however 
unpromising might be the prospect, I determined, at 
all events, that we should go and see for ourselves 
how matters really stood. 
But I must explain to you why I so counted upon 
the assistance of the Gulf Stream to help us through. 
The entire configuration of the Arctic ice is deter¬ 
mined by the action of that mysterious current on its 
edges. Several theories have been advanced to account 
for its influence in so remote a region. I give you one 
which appears to me reasonable. It is supposed, that 
in obedience to that great law of Nature which seeks to 
establish equilibrium in the temperature of fluids,—a 
vast body of gelid water is continually mounting from 
the Antarctic, to displace and regenerate the over-heated 
oceans of the torrid zone. Bounding up against the west 
side of South America, the ascending stream skirts the 
coasts of Chili and Peru, and is then deflected in a 
westerly direction across the Pacific Ocean, where it 
takes the name of the Equatorial Current. Having 
completely encircled Australia, it enters the Indian Sea, 
