THE EARTH. 295 



stantly during the months of October, Novem- 

 ber, December, and January. These, therefore, 

 are the most favourable months for embarking 

 for the East Indies, in order to take the benefit 

 of these winds for crossing the Line : and it has 

 been often found, by experience, that those who 

 had set sail five months before, were not in the 

 least farther advanced in their voyage, than those 

 who waited for the favourable wind. During the 

 winter of Nova Zembla, and the other arctic 

 countries, a north wind reigns almost continually. 

 In the Cape de Verde islands, a south wind pre- 

 vails during the month of July. At the Cape of 

 Good Hope, a north-west wind blows during the 

 month of September. There are also regular 

 winds, produced by various causes upon land. 

 The ancient Greeks were the first who observed 

 a constant breeze, produced by the melting of 

 the snows, in some high neighbouring countries. 

 This was perceived in Greece, Thrace, Macedo- 

 nia, and the JEgean Sea. The same kind of 

 winds are now remarked in the kingdom of 

 Congo, and the most southern parts of Africa. 

 The flux and reflux of the sea also produces 

 some regular winds, that serve the purposes of 

 trade ; and, in general, it may be observed, that 

 wherever there is a strong current of water, there 

 is a current of air that seems to attend it. 



Besides these winds that are found to blow in 

 one direction, there are, as was said before, others 

 that blow for certain months of the year one 

 way, and the rest of the year the contrary way : 

 these are called the monsoons, from a famous 



