332 THE PHYSICAL GEOGRAPHY OF THE SEA. 



draws more and more toward the north, lies to the left of the 

 southwest monsoon, it may be readily conceived why the motion 



of this whirl should be from the right hand to the left I J, or 



contrary to the movements of the hands of a watch. 



947. "Thus, when upon the limit of the African monsoon a cir- 

 cular motion in the air arises, we may infer, from the situation of 

 the currents of air, and their relation to each other, that the move- 

 ment will be from the right side to the left. For the same rea- 

 son, the motion in the southern hemisphere in the South Indian 

 Ocean is from the left hand to the right. Near the north pole we 

 find the currents of air just the other way ; the southeast, or the 

 southwest turned back southeast, is to the left of the northwest 

 monsoon. Therefore, when a circular motion there takes place 

 upon the limit of the monsoon, it must go from the left hand to 



the right ( 1, or vrith the hands of a watch. 



948. " The want of knowledge prevents me from venturing to 

 penetrate into the ' hidden chambers out of which the whirlwind 

 comes,' for the circulation of the at,mosphere must, like the revo- 

 lutions of human society, bring all the natural forces into commo- 

 tion, and they, in the strife which they wage, become renewed and 

 strengthened to perform their appointed work for the universal 

 welfare, and pass away like the all-destroying meteor, after having 

 accomplished its terror-awaking mission. The strife — if indeed I 

 may call the opposite workings in nature strife — is violent, terri- 

 ble. The monsoon has attained its greatest strength, the disturb- 

 ance in the circulation of the atmosphere has reached its utmost 

 limits, the vapor and the heavy clouds act in harmony no longer, 

 and with wild violence the uproar, nursed in silence, breaks forth. 

 * The way for the lightning of the thunder' appears to be broken 

 up. 



949. "In the South Indian Ocean (25° south latitude), a hur- 

 ricane accompanied by hail was observed,* by which several of 

 the crew were made blind, others had their faces cut open, and 

 those who were in the rigging had their clothes torn off from 



* The Rhijin, Captain Brandligt. 



