OF WINDS. 257 



ing of one side ; the northern wind is higher and blows 

 from above ; we do not mean the polar elevation and de 

 pression of which we have spoken formerly ; but because 

 the north wind for the most part hath its beginnings higher, 

 and the south wind for the most part nearer to us. 



8. The south wind to us is rain (as we said before), 

 but in Africa it causes clear weather, but bringing great 

 heat along with it, and not cold, as some have affirmed. 

 In Africa it is pretty healthful, but to us, if the south 



! wind last long with fair weather and without rain, it is very 

 pestilent. 



9. The south winds and west winds do not engender 

 vapours, but they blow from those coasts where there is 

 great store of them, by reason of the increase of the sun s 

 heat, which draws forth the vapours, and therefore they are 

 rainy. But if they blow from dry places, which have no 

 vapours in them, they are fair. But, notwithstanding, some 

 times they are pure and sometimes turbulent. 



10. The south and west winds here with us seem to be 

 confederate, and are warm and moist, and on the other side 

 the north and east winds have some affinity between them, 

 being cold and dry. 



11. The north and south winds (whereof we have also 

 spoken before) do blow oftener than the east and west 

 winds, because there is a great inequality of vapours in 

 those parts, by reason of the absence and presence of the 

 sun, but to the east and to the west the sun is, as it were, 

 indifferent. 



12. The south wind is very heathful when it comes from 

 the sea, but when it blows from the continent it is more 

 unhealthful ; and so, contrariwise, the north wind is sus 

 picious blowing from the sea, from the continent it is health 

 ful. Likewise the south sea wind is very agreeable with 

 plants and fruits, killing their cankers, or rusts and other 

 hurtful annoyances. 



13. A gentle south wind doth assemble and gather toge 

 ther clouds much, especially if it continue but a short 

 while ; but if it blow too boisterously, or long, it clouds 

 the sky and brings in rain. But especially when it ceases 

 or grows remiss, more than in its beginning, and when it is 

 in its chiefest vigour. 



14. When the south wind either begins to blow or ceases, 

 for the most part there are changes of weather, from fair to 

 cloudy, and from hot t cold, and contrariwise. The north 



VOL. xiv. s 



