Mr.J. J. Wild, Member of the Civilian scientific staff of H.M.S. Challenger, thus eloquently contrasts the Gulf Stream of the Atlantic and the Japan Current of the Pacific :—" No twe natural phenomena could present a more complete parallelism than that which can be traced between the origin, progress, and ultimate fate of the great thermal currents of the North Atlantic and North Pacific Oceans. It constitutes one of the most remarkable proofs of the uniformity of laws and conditions which determine the movements of the oceanic waters from pole to pole. The pouring in of the North Pacific Equatorial current through the chain of islands which separates the Sea of Magallanes from the main basin of the Pacific, just as the North Atlantic Equatorial current flows into the Caribbean Sea through the Antilles—the progress of the Pacific current through the southern portion of the Sea of Magal lanes, and the accumulation of its waters in the northern and more restricted portion of this sea, as we observe the circulation of the Atlantic current through the Caribbean Sea, and the accumulation of its waters in the Gulf of Mexico—the relief of the pressure caused by this accumulation, through the formation in both cases of a powerful current, which forces its way through the northern end of the barrier of islands, and joins the branch of the Equatorial current, which has been moving northwards outside this barrier—finally, the sub-division of both Equatorial currents, after their encounter with the Polar currents, into branches, some of which continue their course into the Polar Seas, while others bend round, and, gradually cooling in contact with the currents from the north, flow down the western coasts of the opposite continents, in order to resume once more their course in the character of equatorial currents,—form two parallel series of occurrences, the resemblance between which is too close to be the result of mere accident."]
There are several other minor and but partially known currents in the vast expanse of the North Atlantic, encircled by the Equatorial and Japan current& These minor currents appear to have a generally easterly drift, but complicated and uncertain, and are probably caused by numerous obstructions to the main westerly set of the surface water. One high authority' thinks they are the results of shallows in that region. The numerous reefs, islands, sub-marine ridges, and prevaijing and periodical winds, all no doubt combine to produce a most complicated minor system of currents in the great whirl of the North Pacific. The Mexican and Okhotsk currents are undoubtedly produced by the winds alone, for they change their direction in accordance with the prevailing winds—the former running north-east in summer, and south east in winter, while the latter varies from east to west, according to the prevalent winds. In the South Pacific the most important minor stream is called Mentor's current, and is in reality the South Equatorial counter-current.