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Of the Winds and their Effells. 



The winds, which moft ufually prevail in our latitudes, blow 

 from the Weftward, for reafons unneccffary to be detailed here. 

 Thefe winds are commonly mild in their temperature, and moift 

 in their nature. They are, from thefe properties, extremely 

 friendly to animal and vegetable life 5 and to them the great 

 population of Ireland, and the uncommon fertility of its foil, 

 may, among natural caufes, be afcribed. 



But, from whatever circumftances it has arifen, thefe winds 

 have, of late years, fwept with uncommon violence over the 

 furface of our iiland ; fruftrating the ufual efFeds of their genial 

 properties by the overbearing fury of their courfe-, and, like 

 Saturn, fometimes devouring the offspring to which themfelves 

 had given birth. 



Why thefe wefterly winds have ceafed to bear the charaaer 

 of zephyrs may admit of much curious and interefting inveftiga- 

 tion : at prefent I fhall be fatisfied with endeavouring to eftablifh 

 the fad itfelf, by fuggefting to the Academy fome circumftances 

 that feem to determine the matter with a very great degree of 

 probability. 



The effeds of thefe winds are marked, in vifible charaders, 

 over the whole furface of the kingdom } but they are peculiarly 



diftin- 



