§ 709-711. MONSOONS. 379 



turning of the east monsoon into the west monsoon commences. 

 After the sun has finished its yearly task in the northern hemi- 

 sphere, and brings its powerful influence to operate in the southern 

 hemisphere, a change is at once perceived in the constant fine 

 weather of the east monsoon of the Java Sea. As soon as it is at 

 its height upon the Java Sea (6° south), then the true turning of 

 the monsoon begins, and is accomplished much more rapidly than 

 the spring turning. The calms then are not so continuous. The 

 combat in the upper atmosphere appears to be less violent; the 

 southeast trade, which has blown as the east monsoon, does not 

 seem to have sufficient strength to resist the aggressors, who, 

 with wild storms from the northwest and west, make their supe- 

 riority known. Upon and in the neighborhood of the land, thun- 

 der-storms occur, but at sea they are less frequent. 



709. " The atmosphere, alternately clear and cloudy, moves 

 conflicta in the air. morc definitely over from the northwest, so that it 

 appears as if no combat was there waged, and the southeast gives 

 place without a contest. The land-breezes become less frequent, 

 and the phenomena by day and night become, in a certain sense, 

 more accordant with each other. Storms of wind and rain be- 

 neath a clouded sky alternate with severe gales and steady winds. 

 In the last of November the west monsoon is permanent. 



710. " Such are the shiftings. But what have they to do with 

 Passing of the cahn ^^^ general systcm of the circulation of the atmos- 

 ^^^*^' phere ? Whenever we r^ad attentively the beauti- 

 ful meditations of the founder of the Meteorology of the Sea, and 

 follow him in the development of his hypothesis, which lays open 

 to view the wheels whereby the atmosphere performs its varied 

 and comprehensive task with order and regularity, then it will 

 not be necessary to furnish proof that these turnings are nothing 

 else than the passing of a belt of calms which separates the mon- 

 soons from each other, and which, as we know, goes annually with 

 the sun from the south to the north, and back over the torrid 

 zone to and fro. 



711. "So also the calms, which precede the land and sea winds, 

 Where they are, there are tumcd back. If, at the comiuff of the land- 



the changing of the . . . ' . . ° 



monsoons is going on. wiud in the hills, wc go wlth it to the coast — to 

 the sea, we shall perceive that it shoves away the calms which 

 preceded it from the hills to the coast, and so far upon the sea as 



