a 7 9'^* philosophical geography. 



PHILOSOPHICAL GEOGRAPHY. 



VARIATIONS OF THE GENERAL TRADB-WINDS VVITHIN THE TROPICS. 



Continued from p. 293. 

 ISummasenta and other trade-winds on the eastern coast 



of America. 

 The only places in America where the wind fliifts re- 

 gularly, are the bays of Honduras and Campeachy, 

 on the east, and a small tract upon the coast of Bra- 

 sil, and tliat of Panama, and some parts on the coast 

 of Mexico, on the west. In the south part of the 

 bay of Honduras, between Cape Gratia de Dios and 

 Cape la Vela, the fommon trade-wind between E. 

 and N. E. blows between March and November ; 

 from October till March there are westerly winds, 

 not constant nor violent, but blowing moderately,, 

 sometimes two or three days, or a week, and then 

 the easterly breeze may prevail for an equal length 

 of time. The reason of the peculiarity here obser- 

 ved is this : During the summer season, the high 

 land on the isthmus of Darien is so much warmed, 

 as not to interrupt the course of the general trade- 

 winds ; but when the sun retires to the southern he- 

 misphere, the cold upon the isthmus at that season be- 

 comes so great as to condense the air, to such a de- 

 gree as to repel the trade- wind for some time ; but 

 not being rendered so intei^selj coldas in some of the 

 larger continents, the trade-wind, at times, m its turn 

 overcomes and repels these land brpczes, and produ- 

 ces the phenomenon above described. Hence it is 

 \iih. vii. * ^ - 



