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The Currents of the Sea.

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lished that by far the greater part of the moisture which descends on our mountains and fertilizes our valleys, which forms the Mississippi, the St. Lawrence with its lakes, and all the other streams of North America, that all this moisture is derived from the grand and distant reservoir of the South Pacific Ocean. Dry up that reservoir of the Southwestern Sea, and the Mississippi would lose its majesty, the great lakes recede from their borders, and our whole land mourn for the want of those showers by which it is now continually refreshed. Thus does the seeming superabundance of waters but minister to the land the means it needs to fit it for the residence of animals and man; and thus, even where there is the appearance of most lavish expenditure, is the Divine economy most gloriously vindicated.

A confirmation of the views presented in the third chapter is given in the fourth, entitled "Red Fogs and Sea Dust." It appears from this that, under the microscope of Professor Ehrenberg, the Infusoria scattered by the winds on the southern regions of Europe, from Malta to the Tyrol, exhibit South American forms; and our author concludes that these Infusoria came from the plains of the Lower Oronoco, by a similar path to that by which the water evaporated from the South Pacific Ocean is brought to irrigate the continent of North America.

In the fifth chapter, the discovery, by Faraday, of the magnetic property of oxygen, is made the basis of ingenious speculations upon the manner in which that mysterious and powerful agency of magnetism affects the circulation of the winds.

The subject next treated of is "The Currents of the Sea." Among the interesting facts here brought forward are the existence of a constant under-current westward through the Straits of Gibraltar, opposite to the upper current, which is well known to be ever pouring inward from the Atlantic; - the existence of similar currents at the entrance of the Red Sea, and in the Polar regions; the "Gulf Stream" of the Pacific, along the coast of China;- the non-existence, on the other hand, of an old terror to mariners, in the form of a permanent and powerful current westward from Cape St. Roque, on the coast of Brazil.

The seventh chapter treats of "The Open Sea in the Arctic Ocean," the existence of which is confirmed by the evidence adduced to prove the opposing north and south currents of the Polar regions.

In chapter eighth, the great mystery of "The Salts of the Sea" is explored, and with most interesting results. We observe how, while some agencies of nature are employed in increasing the quantity of salt in the ocean, other agencies- among them that of the coral insects, in their minute but magnificent work—are engaged in removing the superabundance; while the currents already described prevent any injurious inequality in the diffusion of salt through the ocean. In this chapter occurs the following striking description, extracted from the narrative of an Arctic voyage, by Captain Duncan, of the English whale-ship Dundee. It is given to illustrate the power of the currents in the Polar regions, which bear along the icebergs.

"The dreadful apprehensions that assailed us yesterday, by the near approach of the iceberg, were this day most awfully verified. About three P. M., the iceberg came in contact with our floe, and in less than one minute it broke the ice; we were frozen in quite close to the shore; the floe was shivered to pieces for several miles, causing an explosion like an earthquake, or one hundred pieces of heavy ordnance fired at the same moment. The iceberg, with awful but majestic grandeur, (in height and dimensions resembling a vast mountain,) came almost up to our stern, and every one expected it would have run over the ship.” — p. 163.

The ninth chapter describes to us the Equatorial Ring of Clouds, whose friendly shade Divine Wisdom has interposed between the sun and the regions most subjected to its heat.

"The Geological Agency of the Winds," is the subject next discussed. We cannot, in this brief view, give more than a reference to the beautiful and convincing course of reasoning by which the phenomena of the present depressed basins of the Dead and Caspian Seas are connected with grand geological changes in the distant continent of South America; and by which the existence of that continent is shown to be the cause of the want of irrigation in Africa. The old rustic who maintained that Tenterden steeple was the cause of

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The Paths of the Ocean.

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Goodwin Sands, might have taken courage to bear the laugh of those around him, if he could have foreseen that Science herself would point out a connection between the Andes and the Desert of Sahara.

But a more serious thought is well suggested to us by the philosopher who unfolds these wonders.

"Here then," says Lieutenant Maury, "we see harmony in the winds, design in the mountains, order in the sea, arrangement in the dust, and form for the desert. Here are signs of beauty and works of grandeur; and we may now fancy, that, in this exquisite system of adaptations and compensations, we can almost behold, in the Red and Mediterranean Seas, the very waters that were held in the hollow of the Almighty hand when he weighed the Andes and balanced the hills of Africa in his comprehensive scales." pp. 197, 198.

Chapter XI. discusses "The Depths of the Ocean," describes the difficulties that have been encountered in ascertaining them, and the most successful instrument for this purpose, invented by Mr. Brooke, of the United States navy.

In the next chapter, on "The Basin of the Atlantic," an account is given of interesting results already obtained by means of this instrument. Specimens of the soil, from the depth of more than two miles, were examined with the microscope by Professor Bailey of West Point. He testifies that "they are chiefly made up of perfect little calcareous shells," thus furnishing a new demonstration of that wonderful economy in nature which fills creation with life.

"The Winds" form the subject of the thirteenth chapter, which is followed by others on "The Climates of the Ocean," "The Drift of the Sea," on "Storms," and "Routes"; after which "A Last Word" invites the cooperation of all navigators in the observations which are producing such valuable results. In the chapter on "Routes," an animated account is given of the voyages made by four American vessels, at the same time, from New York to California. This race, of fifteen thousand miles in length, and three months in duration, is brought forward to illustrate how well the paths of the ocean are now understood. The navigators, "like travellers on the land, pass and repass, fall in with and recognize each other by the way." (p. 209.)

We take our leave of this most interesting volume, thankful for the evidence it affords of the scientific attainments of the officers, both in our navy and commercial marine; and still more, that in their noble daring, and ingenious research, they recognize with a devout spirit the proofs spread all around them of the wisdom and goodness of the Creator. In illustration, alike of this spirit and of the influence of Lieutenant Maury's researches, we quote a few lines from a letter, published in his appendix, from William L. Phinney, captain of the ship "Gertrude."

"For myself, I am free to confess that for many years I commanded a ship, and although never insensible to the beauties of nature upon the sea or land, I yet feel that, until I took up your work, I had been traversing the ocean blindfolded. I did not think, I did not know, the amazing and beautiful combination of all the works of Him whom you so beautifully term 'the Great First Thought.'

"I feel that, aside from any pecuniary profit to myself from your labors, you have done me good as a man. You have taught me to look above, around, and beneath me, and recognize God's hand in every element by which I am surrounded. I am grateful for this personal benefit. Your remarks on this subject, so frequently made in your work, cause in me feelings of the greatest admiration, although my capacity to comprehend your beautiful theory is very limited."— p. 287.

S. G. B.

ART. III. UNITARIANISM AND ORTHODOXY ON THE ATONEMENT.

PURSUING Our general review of a half-century of the controversy still in agitation between the divided representatives of the old Congregational body of New England, we have summed up the views of the two parties on two of their great doctrinal issues. It remains for us to follow the same method in dealing with what we have already defined as the third of the chief topics of discussion and division. This concerns the Scripture doctrine of the Atonement: the agency of Jesus Christ in securing the reconciliation between God and men;

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Verbal Disputations.

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the need of such an agency, the mode of its operation. and of its efficacy.

"Unitarians deny the doctrine of the Atonement," is the judgment pronounced against us by the Orthodox. "Unitarians believe the doctrine of the Atonement," is our earnest, self-convinced, and solemn assertion, made in answer to that judgment. What then? Is it a question of veracity between us, involving a slander or falsehood on the one side, and a plea of self-defence on the other? No! There may be misunderstanding, there may be misrepresentation, but we make no charge of intentional falsifying. Is it then a question as to the meaning of a word, so that, while the parties respectively affirm or deny, they do not affirm and deny the same thing, because they attach quite different significations to the same word on which the whole issue hangs? There certainly is involved in the controversy much difference of opinion and much debate as to the meaning of a few very important words, especially of the word atonement. The controversy some years ago turned far more than it does now upon the meaning of that one word. Unitarians insisted, that the word atonement, according to its etymology and its actual use at the time when our English version of the Bible adopted. it, signified reconciliation. Unitarians also urged, that a false view of the Scripture doctrine had connected an erroneous association with the word atonement, had in fact changed its popular signification; and that the word reconciliation ought to be substituted for it in the only place where it occurs in the New Testament. Orthodox controversialists stoutly and obstinately denied these assertions. Happily, however, that point may now be regarded as yielded by them. So far, the controversy as a strife about words has abated. But while the embarrassment of one merely verbal dispute is set aside, the controversy is still largely and almost hopelessly complicated with questions as to the signification and the interpretation of terms of language. Charity, therefore, requires of us to explain that, when the Orthodox so flatly and positively affirm that Unitarians do not believe the doctrine of the Atonement, in spite of the assertion of the Unitarians that they do believe it, the Orthodox mean simply that Unitarians do not accept their