ion
of shelter to vessels when attempting to make the Atlantic coast of
North America, which, at that season is swept by furious storms and
chilled by bitter frosts. The Atlantic coasts of the United States are
considered to be the most stormy in the world during winter, and the
difficulty of making them used to be much greater in former days than
now. The number of wrecks that take place off the shores of New England
in mid-Winter is frightful. All down that coast flows one of the great
cold currents from the north. The combined influence of the cold
atmosphere above it, and the warm atmosphere over the Gulf Stream, far
out at sea, produces terrific gales. The month's average of wrecks off
that coast has been as high as three a day. In making the coast,
vessels are met frequently by snow-storms, which clothe the rigging with
ice, rendering it unmanageable, and chill the seaman's frame, so that he
cannot manage his ship or face the howling blast. Formerly, when unable
to make the coast, owing to the fury of these bitter westerly gales, he
knew of no place of refuge short of the West Indies, whither he was
often compelled to run, and there await the coming of genial spring ere
he again attempted to complete his voyage. Now, however, the region of
the Gulf Stream is sought as a refuge. When the stiffened ropes refuse
to work, and the ship can no longer make head against the storm, she is
put about and steered for the Gulf Stream. In a few hours she reaches
its edge, and almost in a moment afterwards she passes from the midst of
winter into a sea of sunnier heat! "Now," as Maury beautifully
expresses it, "the ice disappears from her apparel; the sailor bathes
his limbs in tepid waters. Feeling himself invigorated and refreshed
with the genial warmth about him, he realises out there at sea the fable
of Antaeus and his mother Earth. He rises up and attempts to make his
port again, and is again, perhaps, as rudely met and beat back from the
north-west; but each time that he is driven off from the contest, he
comes forth from this stream, like the ancient son of Neptune, stronger
and stronger, until, after many days, his freshened strength prevails,
and he at last triumphs, and enters his haven in safety--though in this
contest he sometimes falls to rise no more, for it is terrible."

The power of ocean currents in drifting vessels out of their course, and
in sweeping away great bodies of ice, is very great; althou