THE WINDS OF THE OCEAN 



To the ordinary citizen, wind is a factor of life of which 

 he takes scarcely any cognizance, except it cause him 

 inconvenience or positive suffering, as when in summer 

 the high winds blow dust-laden from the direction in 

 which he desires to go, or in winter, when the bitter 

 blasts of easterly wind seem to penetrate to his very 

 marrow, scorning to take his clothing into account, 

 and making him feel, if he be at all weakly, as if it was 

 in very truth the lethal breath of the death-angel. As 

 far as our islands are concerned, this is about the sum 

 of the landsman's consideration of the wind, unless he 

 be a cyclist or a motorist. Of course, I do not speak 

 of sea-farers of any sort as ordinary citizens ; they are 

 a class by themselves. Even shepherds and farmers 

 only regard the wind from the standpoint of its snow 

 and rain-bearing capabilities ; and therefore it remains, 

 as I have said, true that in these islands wind, as a 

 factor in his life, is of very little personal interest to 

 the ordinary citizen. This, however, by no means holds 

 good in other lands. It would be quite an easy task 

 to compile a respectable book upon the various winds 

 of the earth, and the intense interest they have for its 

 varied inhabitants, from their effects upon human life, 

 from the sirocco and khamseen winds of the desert 

 to the chinook winds in the far west of British North 



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