1 8 THE SOU '-WESTER 



I have no theory as to what forces enlarged 

 or contracted the ice flood. The theme of 

 this study is the horse, a creature of grass and 

 water constructed by the forces in sunshine 

 and fresh air, and coloured by the skies. To 

 the skies we must look if we would trace his 

 origin, to the mechanism of the Ice-cap if we 

 would know how his varieties were speciaHzed 

 out of the general type. So let us have a look 

 at the machinery which made and maintains 

 the Ice-cap. 



PART III. THE SOU'-WESTER. 



We have to study four regions of one great 

 Sou '-wester wind, which is known to navi- 

 gators as the South-west Counter-Trade. 



Western Region. The tropic sunshine 

 lifts masses of hot, tremulous vapour from 

 the surface of the Equatorial Pacific. This 

 vapour Ufts to a great height and there con- 

 denses into clouds. The clouds are swept by 

 the south-west wind and form their floor at a 

 height above the sea of about two miles. The 

 Rocky Mountains reach up bare and stony 

 hands to clutch at the flying moisture and 

 bring down w^hirling snowstorms. On sweep 

 the cloud fleets across the Canadian Plains 

 with rarely a drop of rain to spare through the 

 summer for the thirsting grass beneath. But 



