§ 674, 675. SEA KOUTES, CALM BELTS, ETC. -'OD 



Study of the mon 



high and low barometers, of the "barometric de- 

 iX-ma^loa' ^touch- clivitj of winds," aiid of the meteorological influ- 

 ing the calm belts, q^qq ^f diminished atmospheric pressure by study- 

 ing the calm belts in connection with the monsoons. 



674. Before, however, we proceed to these, let us take a hasty 

 Thesouthwestwindsof g^^Hce at the winds in certain other parts of the 

 the Atlantic. occan. The winds which most prevail on the po- 

 lar side of the calm belt of Cancer, and as far as 50° N. in the At- 

 lantic, are the west winds. " Wind and weather in this part of 

 the ocean," says Jansen, " are very unreliable and changeable ; 

 nevertheless, in the summer months, we find permanent north 

 winds along the coast of Portugal. These north winds are worthy 

 of attention, the more so from the fact that they occur simul- 

 taneously with the African monsoon, and because we then find 

 northerly winds also in the Mediterranean, and in the Eed Sea, 

 and farther eastward to the north of the Indian monsoon. When, 

 between the months of May and November, during which the Af- 

 rican monsoon prevails, the Dutch ships, which have lingered in 

 the calm belt of Cancer, run with the northeast trade and direct 

 their course for the Cape Verd Islands, then it seems as if they 

 were in another world. The sombre skies and changeable — al- 

 ternately chilly and sultry — weather of our latitudes are replaced 

 by a regular temperature and good settled weather. Each one 

 rejoices in the glorious heavens, in which none save the little 

 trade-clouds are to be seen — which clouds in the trade-wind re- 

 gion make the sunset so enchanting. The dark blue water, in 

 which many and strange kinds of echinas sport in the sunlight, 

 and, when seen at a distance, make the sea appear like one vast 

 field adorned with flowers ; the regular swellings of the waves 

 with their silvery foam, through which the flying-fishes flutter; 

 the beautifully-colored dolphins ; the diving schools of tunnies — 

 all these banish afar the monotony of the sea,* awake the love of 

 life in the youthful seaman, and attune his heart to goodness. 

 Every thing around him fixes his attention and increases his as- 

 tonishment. 



675. "If all the outbreathings of heartfelt emotion which the 



* When we, as our forefathers did, preserve in the journals all that we obsen'e at 

 sea, then we shall have abundant material with which to keep ourselves pleasantly 

 occupied. 



