438 THE MOUNTAIN. 



These prevalent winds blow with constantly varying 

 strength and velocity, the register of the normal and abnor- 

 mal month range is very extensive, and in certain seasons they 

 are quite tempestuous in their transit of the Alleghany range. 

 This occurs even when there is no storm in existence, and 

 comes from the mountain heights stretching up through the 

 surface- winds, and catching the regular streams of the S.W. 

 winds unbroken by the local interference of the surface. 

 This journeying of the higher strata of air, or streams and 

 currents of regular winds, is clearly declared by the roar of 

 the forests on the higher mountain peaks and ridges. This 

 sound for hours, sometimes days, precedes the large regular 

 storms, and is heard for miles, like the regular boom of the 

 ocean in a tempest. This far-resounding boil or roar of 

 the mountain-tops is one of the grandest phenomena of the 

 atmosphere in the mountainous regions. It is well known 

 even to common observers : "a storm is coming, the mountain 

 roars," being a fixed fact of general apprehension. The 

 greatly predominating, or regular winds of the mountain 

 summits, belong to the western segments of the horizon, 

 while those from the eastern side of the circle are only found 

 to prevail in great atmospheric perturbations, such as ac- 

 company the larger storms, and are vastly the exception. 



During regular storms, and even when no storm prevails, 

 the higher cirrus-stratus clouds are often seen careering 

 aloft, borne swiftly on by these air-streams, while below, the 

 surface-winds are shifting about to almost every point of 

 the compass, and frequently are found traveling rapidly 

 in a direction opposite to that of higher currents. These 

 higher currents are the channels through which are borne 

 the constant supply of waters which form what are called 

 the zones of regular extra-tropical rains, or that belt which 

 is perpetually liable to precipitation, consequently this re- 

 gion is the best watered part of the earth. This is clearly 

 shown by the splendid system of rivers or conduits for the 

 meteoric waters back to the ocean whence they came ; for 

 as " all the rivers run into the sea, yet the sea is not full, 



