250 Proximate Causes of Certain Winds and Storms. 



east and south-east trade winds, a few degrees north of the equator 



clouds and tempests seem gathered before us. The " swamp" 

 was much less formidable than we expected j we have had but little 

 rain, only a short calm, and no thunderstorm, though the " artilleiy 

 of the heavens" has been heard almost constantly at a distance. We 

 crossed the line yesterday morning, in longitude 24 degrees west."* 



" About the period of the last date, we entered the north-east trade 

 winds, and have been rushing on before their freshness at the rate of 

 more than two hundred miles a day."f 



" We resumed our course to the north, (from latitude 2° N.) hav- 

 ing fine weather and a gentle breeze, at east and east-south-east, till 

 we got into the latitude of 7° 4.V north, and the longitude of 205° 

 east, where we had one calm day. This was succeeded by a north- 

 east by east and east-north-east wind. At first it blew faint, but 

 freshened as we advanced to the north "^ 



Between the longitudes of 1G0° and 172° east, and in the lati- 

 tudes specified, Commodore Byron had " only faint breezes with 

 smooth water"—" we most ardently wished for a fresh gale, espe- 

 cially as the heat was still intolerable, the glass for a long time having 

 never been lower than 81°, but often up to 84°."|| 



»/ 



fi 



>/3 



(a.) Daniell states that " in Great Britain, on an average of ten 

 years, westerly winds exceed the easterly, in the proportion of 225 

 to 140."$ 



(b.) The meteorology of Cotte, in three vols. 4to, is a vast repos- 

 itory of facts in this science, of very unequal value. It appears from 

 the tables contained in the last volume, that, generally, in the central 

 and western parts of Europe and in some parts of Asia, westerly 

 winds prevail. This is the case in most parts of France, at Amster- 

 dam, Rerne, Berlin, Stockholm, St. Petersburg, Aleppo, Bassora and 

 Bagdad—Copenhagen is the only European capital of which an ac- 

 count is given where this is not the case. " The wind is inclined to 

 west at Paris." (Young's Philosophy, Vol. ii, p. 255.) See also 

 Annals of Philosophy, for July, 1822, where it is stated that at St. 



* Stewart's Journal in the Atlantic. 



t Stewart's Journal in the Pacific, W. Long. 134°, Lat. 8^°- 



\ Cook's Last Voyage. || Hawkesworth'f Voyages, Vol. i, P- »« 



§ Meteorological Essays, p. lit. 



