Trade Winds, and continue the Circulation. ...so long and so strong a Current as that of the Gulph Stream, thro' all the Latitudes of variable Winds, can only be accounted for, by its having a considerable Descent, and moving from Parts where the Water is higher, to Parts where it is lower." - Meaning and context.">
QuotesCosmos
Letter to John Pringle (May 27, 1762) See also Louis De Vorsey, "Pioneer of the Gulf Stream: The Contributions of Benjamin Franklin and William Gerard De Brahm" Imago Mundi (1976) 28: p. 106
“

[T]he waters moved away from the North American Coast towards the coasts of Spain and Africa, whence they get again into the Power of the Trade Winds, and continue the Circulation. ...so long and so strong a Current as that of the Gulph Stream, thro' all the Latitudes of variable Winds, can only be accounted for, by its having a considerable Descent, and moving from Parts where the Water is higher, to Parts where it is lower.

— Benjamin Franklin

What It Means

This is a placeholder explanation generated by the low-overhead model. It interprets "[T]he waters moved away from the North American Coast towards the coasts of Spain and Africa, whence they get again into the Power of the Trade Winds, and continue the Circulation. ...so long and so strong a Current as that of the Gulph Stream, thro' all the Latitudes of variable Winds, can only be accounted for, by its having a considerable Descent, and moving from Parts where the Water is higher, to Parts where it is lower." in the context of "Letter to John Pringle (May 27, 1762) See also Louis De Vorsey, "Pioneer of the Gulf Stream: The Contributions of Benjamin Franklin and William Gerard De Brahm" Imago Mundi (1976) 28: p. 106" to mean that wisdom is timeless.

Source: Wikiquote: "Benjamin Franklin" (Quotes, 1760s) The 'What it means' explanation text was generated by Google Gemini Flash (accessed January 18, 2026). https://gemini.google.com/app

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Benjamin Franklin

About Benjamin Franklin

Benjamin Franklin (17 January 1706 – 17 April 1790) was one of the Founding Fathers of the United States. A renowned polymath, Franklin was a leading author, printer, political theorist, politician, postmaster, scientist, inventor, civic activist, statesman, and a diplomatic scientific and novice electrician; he was a major figure in the U.S. Enlightenment and the history of physics for his discoveries and theories regarding electricity. As an inventor, he is known for the lightning rod, for keeping bifocals fog-free, and the Franklin stove, among other inventions. He facilitated many civic organizations, including Philadelphia's fire department and the University of Pennsylvania.