The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1856-01-25
TIE Kuxo-sxwo.

River ia the Ocean-Lecture ON the Great
Equatorial Current Of tho P4raAc Ocean,
by Lieut.. Bent, U. .. NJ, before the Ame-
rican Geographical ANA. Statistical society.
An in eres'ng lecture delivered last evenng BY
Lieut. B. MT Of the Cnitea States Navy, before the Ans
rican Geographical and Statistical Society the great
equatorial stream of the Pacific Lieut.. Bent
one OF the officers Of the Japan Expedition, under Csm
Perry and his lecture presents large amount Of scien
t6c Information regard subject Of the Rreatsst i'm
portancs particularly nAvgators II nstensd to
throughout with much interest by numerous audience,
among whom we observed Commodore Perry. Lieut..
Bent on being introduced proceeded to deliver his
lecture occasionally referring TO charts and maps illus
trstive OF his subject. lie said
GEc1rKaES or THE SocHTY, AND LADIES AND GsrLE
m-Ater the able lucid and highly scientific address
upon the Gulf Stream delivered before you Thursday
asst by Professor Bschs, If is with extreme didencs
that appear upon similar field OF discussion; but in
compliance with the s.sring solicitation Of this society
shall endeavor to lay before you, in brief manner,
such results, derived from he photographic and
logic data collected by the late expedition to JapAn-un
Sss tbs command Of Commodore NJ C. Perryas viii show
that there is also In The Pacific river in the ocean,
flowing to the northward and eastward along the Of
ASIA csrresponcing In every essential point with the
Gulf STREAM OF tbe Aisntic.
To proper undsrstan irg however, OF materials
from which these results obtained may pre- use
by saying that record kept board of each of the
eleven vessels composing the squadron Of the
and air and therInomeers every alternate hour
during the cruise
These together with the abstracts from the logs the
Winds, currents and daily positions Of the ships when
under way, obtained ry observation and dead reckon
ing, furnished In the form Of monthly reports from
tho calling masters, with remarks upon any meteroog
cal professional incident that may have under
their immediate observation.
Scattered the and seas extending from the
soa coast Of Chins The northeast extremity Japan
during period OF eighteen months of stirring activity,
squadron rsyersed thai whole region in every drec
ton; and these reports, written with integer and
their accompanying tables compiled with care, furnish
full and valuable collection of consecutive observations
which placed in my hands by Commodore Perry for
elimination ard arrangement
at 6rst plotted 81 .hese observations skeleton
chart but found that satisfactory conclusion could
be adducsd from them In such form, owing
to the confusion produced BY the unavoidable dis
crepanciss arising t-cn careless steerage or
local deviation Of the compasses, irregular
pressure and influences OF shifting winds and
neghooiDg land ard that far as the defining Of the
limits and general direction of great oceanic currents
were concerned the thermometer the only and
safe guide.
Taking an idea, therefore from Captain Wilkes
THEOLOGICAL report Of the exploring expedition, made
of diagrams II the various passages Of the ships
between the coasts of China Japan the LooChoo BONN
and Sand wch DDS TO exhibit the tracks daily
winds currents durnal atmospheric PRESSURE and
temperature Of the air and water and to convey to the
nnd BY simple inspection the most satisfactory results
regard to the important oceanic stream in that region
and which, am in hopes may prove Of some interest to
this learned society.
al f,roo f h,th
the air nd the the moment this stream lie entered
but predominant thsrma, change in the water which
almost invariably continues superior in temperature to
that of the air until leaving the stream again.
On the northwestern edge Of the stream the transitions
sudden and extreme, varying according to the lat
tude from 10 deg to 20 dsg On the southeastern side
the char less abrupt and from the gradual approx
nation of the thermal ranges of the air and water its
outline is rendered less distinct and definite.
Along the borders Of the stream, where it chafes
against the torpid waters Of the and counter
ren also in its midst, where whirls and eddies
produced by islands and the inequalities its bed strong
tide rips constantly encountered which often
bic heavy breakers shoals and reefs, and become
finger boards, a< il were to the seaman of the
otherwise influence which may be bearing his
hip far from her intended track, and perehance upon
of the many fearfu, dangers which sprinkle tina.
egion Of the
The existence of north east current the coast oil
Japan noticed by Cook, Knzenstern and other
p!oeis and has, of ped the attention Of
recent intelligent nAvis Ators but believe
tsnac series OF observations upon have hitherto been
p,sde.
The Japanese well of its existence, and
given 1t the naue of Kuro-Swo,n or Back Stresm,
which undoubtedly derived from the deep blue
Of s water when compared with that OF the adjacent
ocean.
The fountain from which this stream springs is the
great equstor current OF the Pacific, which 10 ayni
tude Is in proportion TO the vast extent of that ocean,
when compared with the Atlantic
CApncorn-in ell prooabihty-on the South, il has
width of three thousand miles; and With velocity
the we westward in uninterrupted grandeur around
three eighths OF the crcuu Of the globe,
until diverted by the continent Of Asia and split into
nnumerable streams by the Poynesisn Islam it spreads
the genial influence of It's warmth over regions Of the
earth, some Of whch-now teeming in prolific aoun-
daDce-wouId otherwise be but barren wastes.
One Of the remarkable of these of shoots Ia the
Kurosiwo, apan Stream, which separated from the
e M - dec ons 2 ds Ess
detected to the norhwsrd along the east coast Of For
whore its strength and character are as decidedly
marx those Of the Gulf Stream the oAt OF Flo
rida. This northwardy continues to the paral
lei of 70 deg North when it bears of to the northward
and eastward washing the whole southeast coast Of ia
pan tar the Straits Of SAngar and increasing in
Sta ength it advances, until reaching the chain of
islands 10 the southwark Of the Cult of Yedo where its
maximum velocity, shown by observations, is 80
Is strength from the south end Of Iormosa to
per hours a. all that trAversed it,
Near its origin the HuroSiwo, like the Gulf Stream, Is
contracted and usually confined between Formosa and
the Ms jicoSima Islands With width OF hundred
miles. But the northvard Of this group rapidly
pands its southern hu,t and reaches the Chew
and BONN Islands, giving Il width to the norhward Of
the latter Of about five hundred miles.
To the eastward OF the meridian of 40 deg Fast in lat
tude 40 den. North the takes q easterly d.
rection allowing cold to intervene between il
and the southern coast Of Yesss whore the thermal
change In the wster II from is deg to 20 deg but from
he hmr aetin
in that vicinity II impossible 10 make such observa
tons experiments TO 1rrove conclusvely the pre-
dominant direction Of this co current through the
Straits OF SaDgar, particularly the tide GIBBS and flows
through them with great rapidity. Yet from what
have, inc lined 70 believe that IL is from
the Arctic Ocean running counter TO the KuoSiwo and
which passes TO the westward through the Straits Of
gar, down through the Japan Sea, between Cores
and the Japanese Islands needs hyperporean our
rent on the east coast cf China. which fows to the
south ward through the Formosa Channel toto the China
Sea- the westward Of line connecting the ID
end Earmoaa the thMestern extremity Of