FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   62   63   64   65   66   67   68   69   70   71   72   73   74   75   76   77   78   79   80   81   82   83   84   85   86  
87   88   89   90   91   92   93   94   95   96   97   98   99   100   101   102   103   104   105   106   107   108   109   110   111   >>   >|  
umphant over the broad-backed billow that had struck her, and dived ponderously into the valley of waters beyond. "Don't you think," said the young soldier, whose general knowledge was a little more extensive than that of the seaman, "that the Gulf Stream may have something to do with it?" Molloy looked at the deck with philosophically solemn countenance. Deriving no apparent inspiration from that quarter, he gazed on the tumultuous chaos of salt-water with a perplexed expression. Finally and gravely he shook his weather-beaten head-- "Can't see that nohow," he said. "In course I knows that the Gulf Stream comes out the Gulf o' Mexico, cuts across the Atlantic in a nor'-easterly direction, goes slap agin the west of England, Ireland, and Scotland, and then scurries away up the coast o' Norway--though _why_ it should do so is best known to itself; p'r'aps it's arter the fashion of an angry woman, accordin' to its own sweet will; but what has that got for to do wi' the Bay of Biscay O? That's wot I wants to know." "More to do with it than you think, Jack," answered the soldier. "In the first place, you're not quite, though partly, correct about the Gulf Stream--" "Well, I ain't zactly a scienkrific stoodent, you know. Don't purfess to be." "Just so, Jack. Neither am I, but I have inquired into this matter in a general way, an' here's _my_ notions about it." "Draw it fine, Willum; don't be flowery," said the sailor, renewing his quid. "Moreover, if you'll take the advice of an old salt you'll keep a tighter grip o' that belayin'-pin you've got hold of, unless you wants to be washed overboard. Now then, fire away! I'm all attention, as the cat said at the mouth o' the mouse-hole." "Well, then," began Armstrong, with the slightly conscious air of superior knowledge, "the Gulf Stream does _not_ rise in the Gulf of Mexico--" "Did I say that it did, Willum?" "Well, you said that it _came out of_ the Gulf of Mexico--and, no doubt, so far you are right, but what I mean is that it does not originate there." "W'y don't you say what you mean, then, Willum, instead o' pitchin' into a poor chap as makes no pretence to be a purfessor? Heave ahead!" "Well, Jack," continued the soldier, with more care as to his statements, "I believe, on the best authority, that the Gulf Stream is only part of a great ocean current which originates at the equator, and a small bit of which flows north into the Atlant
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   62   63   64   65   66   67   68   69   70   71   72   73   74   75   76   77   78   79   80   81   82   83   84   85   86  
87   88   89   90   91   92   93   94   95   96   97   98   99   100   101   102   103   104   105   106   107   108   109   110   111   >>   >|  



Top keywords:

Stream

 

Willum

 

Mexico

 
soldier
 
general
 

knowledge

 

stoodent

 

scienkrific

 
purfess
 

matter


zactly
 

belayin

 

tighter

 

inquired

 

renewing

 

notions

 

sailor

 

Neither

 
Moreover
 

advice


flowery

 

conscious

 

continued

 

statements

 

purfessor

 

pretence

 

pitchin

 

authority

 

Atlant

 

equator


originates

 

current

 
Armstrong
 

attention

 

overboard

 

slightly

 

originate

 
superior
 
washed
 

quarter


tumultuous

 
inspiration
 

solemn

 

countenance

 
Deriving
 
apparent
 

perplexed

 

expression

 

beaten

 

Finally