WINDS OF THE ATLANTIC, 345 



south-west to north-north-east, in the same direction 

 that leads to Europe ; and from the headland of Cabo 

 Frio to the entrance of the English Channel at 

 Ushant, a distance of about 72° of latitude and 38^^ 

 of longitude, the helm is scarcely varied from the 

 same course. It is somewhat remarkable that in so 

 long a voyage, in which one passes from the Tropic 

 of Capricorn to the region of the variable anti-trade 

 winds of the northern hemisphere, it not very rarely 

 happens, as I was assured by our experienced captain, 

 that north-north-east winds are encountered through- 

 out the entire distance. This was nearly verified in 

 the present case. For comparatively short periods 

 the wind shifted occasionally to the north and north- 

 west ; more rarely, and at brief intervals, light breezes 

 from the south and south-east were experienced ; but 

 the north-east and north-north-east w^inds predomi- 

 nated, even on the Brazilian coast, until we reached 

 the latitude of Lisbon, 



It is an admitted fact in meteorology, that the 

 trade winds of the northern are — at least in the 

 Atlantic — stronger than those of the southern hemi- 

 sphere ; but at the winter season of the south, the 

 south-east trade winds prevail in the equatorial zone, 

 and are not rarely felt as far as eight or even ten 

 degrees north of the equator. But in investigating 

 the extremely complex causes that determine the 

 direction of air currents, and especially those slight 

 movements that make what is called a breeze, 

 it is difficult to trace the separate effect of each 

 agent. The neighbourhood of a coast constantly 

 brings local causes into play, and it may well be that 



