ion of all the varied substances and
conditions which prevail in the sea, just as much as on the land--they
committed themselves to the deep as to a blind chance, and took the
storms and calms they encountered as their inevitable fate, which they
had no means of evading. Ascertaining, as well as they could from the
imperfect charts of those days, the position of their desired haven,
they steered straight for it through fair weather and foul, regarding
interruptions and delays as mere unavoidable matters of course.

But when men began to study the causes and effects of the operation of
those elements in the midst of which they dwelt, they soon perceived
that order reigned where before they had imagined that confusion
revelled; and that, by adapting their operations to the ascertained laws
of Providence, they could, even upon the seemingly unstable sea, avoid
dangers and delays of many kinds, and oftentimes place themselves in
highly favourable circumstances. Navigators no longer dash recklessly
into the Gulf Stream, and try to stem its tide, as they did of yore;
but, as circumstances require, they either take advantage of the
counter-currents which skirt along it, or avail themselves of the warm
climate which it creates even in the midst of winter. There is a
certain spot in the Atlantic known by the name of the Sargasso Sea,
which is neither more nor less than a huge ocean-eddy, in which immense
quantities of sea-weed collect. The weed floats so thickly on the
surface as to give to the sea the appearance of solid land; and ships
find extreme difficulty in getting through this region, which is
rendered still further unnavigable by the prevalence of long-continued
calms. This Sargasso Sea is of considerable extent, and lies off the
west coast of Africa, a little to the north of the Cape Verd Islands.

In former years, ships used to get entangled in this weedy region for
weeks together, unable to proceed on their voyage. The great Columbus
fell in with it on his voyage to America, and his followers, thinking
they had reached the end of the world, were filled with consternation.
This Sargasso Sea lies in the same spot at the present day, but men now
know its extent and position. Instead of steering straight for port,
they proceed a considerable distance out of their way, and, by avoiding
this calm region, accomplish their voyages with much greater speed.

The ocean currents have been, by repeated and long-continued