of the Mediterranean. 249 



not amount to six weeks on an annual average for three years.. 

 It must be added, however, that the rains, when they do occur, 

 are generally very heavy ; and that the dew^, in fine unclouded 

 weather, are copious ♦. 



Winds. — From the observations of five years, I have found 

 the prevaihng winds to be from the northward ; and particularly 

 when the weather assumes a steady constitution, and the sum- 

 mer season has fairly set in. In the winter, the winds do not 

 appear to blow particularly from any quarter of the compass, 

 but veer very much between the NE. and S. In the fair 

 weather of summer, variable and light winds mostly prevail, 

 and in winter they are less frequent. After the hilly country 

 in Greece is covered with snow, if the winds blow from any di- 

 rection more than another, it is from the S. and SE. ; but, when 

 the snow is dissolving in the spring, the vicissitudes of both 

 wind and temperature are very great. The Sirocco, at this last 

 period, though it seldom blows long at a time, is not so warm as 

 it is in the beginning of winter, and differs very little from a 

 moderate breeze from any other point, in consequence of its not 

 blowing long enough to bring on its wings the milder tempe- 

 rature of the south ; and therefore it is moist, cold, and relaxing. 



The greatest number of cases of fever which I have witnessed 

 on board ship on this station, followed the prevalence of S.SE. 

 or light variable winds in May and June, at Corfu ; while, in 

 October of the same year, when diarrhoea prevailed, the winds 

 were northerly. At Napoli di Romania, I found cynanche and 

 other affections of the mucous membranes particularly prevail, 

 after keen northerly winds, with a clear sky, had been preceded 

 by occasional light Sirocco winds. 



To shew how localities will at times affect the temperature of 

 the winds, in opposition to the regular effects of the season, I 

 have found the north wind off the coast of Calabria to be hot 

 and dry in the latter end of September ; while the wind, the 

 next day, from the S.SE. or SW. was excessively damp, and 

 accompanied with a cloudy sky. This anomaly arose from the 



• The average of rainy, snowy, and showery days in Britain, during the 

 year, compose about one-third of the 365, as may be seen by referring to va- 

 rious registers reported from time to time in the Annals of Philosophy, 



