Year: 1869

A Paper by Captain Bent.


A regular meeting Of the American Geographical
and Statistical Society was held last night at their
rooms In Cooper Institute the President Mr. Charles
P. DAILY, In the chair. Mr.. S. B. Ruggles, Henry
Grinnell and DR.. Hayes were on the platform. The
President stated that the society was in receipt OF
Japanese compass from Mr. George W. Blunt,
brought from Japan by Commodore Perry in his
famous expedition to that country. This compass.
1t was said, was the first form OF the compass
known, having been in use 200 years before the
Christian era. Since tine previous meeting OF the
society they have received from Dr. Albert L. Bush
nell, missionary in Western Africa, copies OF all
the books that have been published In that region
for the propagation OF religion In languages that
have thus far been reduced to writing.


The paper OF Captain Bent on Polor Exploration
read by the President its author being unable to
be In attendance. Captain Bent 1t was said was the
flag officer IN Commodore Perry's expedition TO
Japan and was afterw ards appointed by the govern
ment to the Photographed Department. The paper
D 81 doaet Se n%Y e al ,e


mistaken route In attempting to go by way OF Baf-
fms Bay instead OF Behring'S Straits or Spitz-
in attempting the Northwest passage have gone up
the stream against hyperborean current filled with
opposing tee while II they had tried the Northeast
passage they would have gone down stream In
waters warm from the tropics and opening path
way far into the Arctic sea, II not to the very Pole
called TO this subject in 1S4s. while stop
ping at the Sandwich Islands, on his way
to China. At these Islands he met q captain
OF Q whaling ship who stated that .he had gone
several hundred miles TO the northward and east
Ward from Behring's Straits and three hundred
miles beyond the limits OF his charts and with an
open sea still before him far as could be seen in
that direction" ON arriving at China the Prebe, the
went 70 Japan to rescue some shipwrecked Amch-
can seamen. As soon as the Preble left Hong Kong
SO that she was obliged to heave to under storm
sails. The effect OF the winds upon q ship thus
Of Of about bout thirty rt miles : day. when, alter @
three days, the storm abated and land
dred miles to the southwark OF Formosa but 1t after
wards turned out to be the northern end OF that
island and that the ship had been carried BY the cur
rent ninety miles to the northward against the wind,
or one hundred and eighty miles to the northward
OF where she would have been had there been no
ward Of where she would have been had she
coptinued within the influence OF the south
erly current Of the Formoso channel. instead
Of crossing It. The experience OF this cruise con-


1rmed the Captain In the belief inAthe existence Of
two powerful currents, and II was known that few
current poured its immense volume into the China
at right angles to both OF these currents Subse
quent Investigation convinced Captain Bent that
nese currents constituted system Identical IN its
essential features with that of the Atlantic. These
two grand currents 1t was found moved to the west
no other outlet from the Gulf OF Mexico has its whole
volume forced round to the north OF Cuba and
detected thence northwardly along the coast OF
Florida, forming the Gulf Stream while that OF the
Pacific, passing mostly through the Polynesian
Islands and China sea- has . large shaving, Is It
were torn or its northern side by the south end Of
Formosa, which. by its condensed momentum, Is
like the Gulf Stream thrown with increased velocity
to the northward, and forming the Kuro-Siwo,
or Japan stream. Portions OF both these
terruptedly to the northward and eastward into the
Arctic Ocean-that from the Gulf Stream by the way
OF Spltzbergen and that from the kuro-Siwo by
Behring's Straits When the erect OF these oceanic
currents In modifying the temperatures OF both the
western part OF Europe and OF America Is consld-
cred IL does not seem unreasonable to believe that
the portions OF the Gulf Stream and OF The
Kuro-Siwo that penetrate the Arctic Ocean carry
with them warmth enough not only to dissolve all
the Ice and snow they encounter IN their paths but
enough also to keep an open sea about the Pole at
all seasons OF the year. In conclusion Captain Bent
stated that he believed that ship sailing 10 the
North Pole by the way Of Spitzbergen, and following
the water thermometer rather tnan her compass,
would accomplish her object.