3r<S On IVindi. 



perior current or by foutherlv winds, the colder American 

 becomes more forcible. In Cummer this muil happen fre- 

 quently, the E. N. E. ofteneft prevailing: upon the whole, 

 however, Leche remarked that the eait and E. S. E. were 

 nearly the mod: uncommon ; as did La Cotte in the climate 

 of Paris. (Meteorolog. p. 305.) 



With us this wind is moft trequcnt in the months of April 

 and May; and I have obferved in Cook's Journ.d, tables 9th, 

 loih, and nth, tliat it prevads alfo in the fame months in 

 the Pacific, therefore the colder continental air then pours in 

 upon us. 



La Cotte alfo obTerves, that in the weftern trafts of Eu- 

 rope, in latitudes below 48°, this wind occurs ofteneft during 

 the winter months " ; for the fuperior heat of the Allaniic in 

 the low latitudes dt-termines ihe colder air incumbent on 

 Hungary and European Turkey to flow in upon it. 



Of Southerly JVhids. 



A few years an;o, no problem in meleoroloffv appeared to 

 yne more difficult tban to affign a caufe for the frequent pre- 

 valence of a fouth wind even m winter, it being contrary to 

 the laws of nature that warm air Ihould rulh upon colder; 

 yet I fince difcovercd that the conJQ6lural iululion I then of- 

 fered is grounded on a real faft. 



In the eaftern parts of our hcmlfphere, from longitude 73" 

 to 160% that is, from the coaft of Malabar to the Moluccas, 

 it blows from the north-eaft conltantiy from OAober untij 

 April. Now this northern blalt muft be fupplied and re- 

 cruited from countries ftill further north until we arrive at 

 the pole, and the polar air muft conlequently be fupplied by 

 that which lies fouth of it, and thus a fouthern current is 

 eftabliflied on the weftern fide of our hemifphcrCr 



Inftances to fupport or contradict this theory do not often 

 occur; yet I have found fome that appear to me decifive, in- 

 dependentlv of the general reafon alleged. Thus I find in 

 the ninth table of the third volume of Cook's Voyages, that 

 in north latitude 59^, and eaft longitude 207% on the 25th 

 of May 1778, a Itrong north-welt wind prevailed; and on 

 the 29ih day of the fame month and year, an equally ftrong 

 fouth- weft wind prevailed at Peterfburgh, latitude (if and 

 longitude 30° eaft. Now the places of obfervalion were 

 177 desirecs diftant, one on the eaftern and the other on the 

 weftern fide of our hemifphere, (which, at this proxiuiity to 

 the pole, argues not a fuperior diftance to that I have m^ur 



* Mem. Mttcorolog. ii. p. 189, Z<c. 



tioned ;) 



