Wheeling compiler. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [i.e. W. Va.]) 1829-1831, 1830-06-23


dian Ocean Its hurricanes, the Bermudas
ana Oape Finisierre their sudden aud yio-
Iie"t squalls. Although these places Ordi-
InariIy bear the name of son.e headland, il
+ 10 inc seas which these capes separate
hat must be referred to the cause of these
erribie phenomena, and these causes must
BE traced TO the currents flowing from the
pole OF their hemisphere.
No s.
IN The moan tiuno tho Adant;o 600 ci.la.l
By the waters from the Mozambiqe chan
mel, flows to the north. This is the favor
able season for vessels homeward bound
from India. This extensive current
spreads its tempered GOODNESS through tie
whole austral temperate zone. We must
not imagine that it flows in the manner OF
a river whose waves are urged on by sue
cessivc impulses, but we must regard 1t as
a general motion Of its entire body acting
at the same time drougout It's whole eX-
tent.
Thus the waters Of the southern pole
being in state Of fusion, elevate. them
selves above the level OF the temperate
zone, and these do not fail to act upon the
waters of the torrid zone. These in their
turn displace the sea of the north temper
ate zone that presses again on the icy sea
of the glacial zone and at last the impulse
terminates at the north pole.
This successive pressure Of the seas is
felt from hemisphere to hemisphere, 10 the
space Of six weeks at farthest, and is pro-
duced as have already said by the differ
ence of their levels, not in the bottoms of
their immense basins, but at the surface
The melted sea of the glacial zone is nat
uralIy the most elevated; Stree the ices
descend from thence, aud those of the tor
rid zone depressed by the constant evapo-
ration Of the sun who pumps up their wa
ter and disperses them in clouds. Those
polar seas which become congealed bv the
presence Of their winter. are vet lower bv
cause Of this very cOngelation which sends
forth necessarily thick fogs. known to sea-
men by the name of ice-bergs They are
so abundant that thew suffice 10 cover the
entire pole which attracts them with an
,lrY c0ntlnont. similar 10 the mass under
which it groaned six months before
\ If you demand into what abyss these
masses Of waters are precipitated which
How six months from south 10 north ia the
Atlantic Ocean, will tell YOU that they re-
urn in part along its shores in periodical
currents. denominated tides, which are
Turing our winter the counter current Of
he general stream from the South, and
result like it from the action Of the sun
npon melting ices Of the pole. The gene
lral current flows from II six months. or
half year. and the tide proceeding from
In flows twelve hohrs or half q dav. Some
times we have only one tide IN ~ hours.
as in the southern hemisphere. and some
times it is divided into two tides NJ six
hours each. as IN the Atlantic Ocean
Whether it flows back during the winter
REFLECTED 10 the north by the Capes Horn
aud Good Hope. or otherwise descends IN
our summer to the south. It is equally the
counter current of the general one which
is itself divided by the two continents.
1t is retarded daily in It's progress about
three hours. because the dome Of ice from
which it has its source Is gradually dImla-
ished.
Bot let US not lose sight Of the general
current of the south; in penetrating to the
torrid zone il forces onward the enormous
mass of waters heated by the fires OF AT.
RIGA. and pours il warm and smoking into
our temperate zones. These circles then
around part Of Europe, doubling the
heats Of its summer. ripening its autumnal
fruits. and when the first parts Of winter
visit our hemisphere. bring US in the md
die Of November those few warm and ha-
Nv DAVIS known as the Indian summer
From hence it flows 10 mingle with the
frozen ocean in the north, and break IT'S
expiring waves uPon rugged rocks.
We might trace It's mcanderings thro'
Its entire course. Ii sweeps the seas thro'
which 1t runs and deposites in our whites
upon the shores oil La VendIc and Bre
tagne quantities Of ambergris which 1t lia'
borne from The oriental Indies.
1t was this current which cast ashore
uDon the Canaries those American reed,
which induced Christopher Columbus tc
suspect the existence of another world IN
the west. It throws annually the marIae
seeds Of Jamaica upon the rocks Of Tue
Orkney isles, and rich with the sPoiIs o.
sea and land which so many mighty rivers
pour INTO ITS bosom, It lattens "a the SCUM
myrIads Of COD, turbot, delicious oysters
and other fish. which it noarishes on 'le''
wiutery shores.
It gorges in the depths Of The north The
yoracious sea dog, aud the enormous
whale, the white bear, and The nons,rou !,
eeals together Nth q multitude Of birds