BREEZES ON THE AMAZON. 8L5 



The insalubrity of the climato would be the same OH the 

 woody banks of the Amazon, if that river, running like the 

 Niger from west to east, did not follow in its immense 

 length the same direction, which is that of the trade-winds. 

 The valley of the Amazon IB closed only at its western 

 extremity, where it approaches the Cordilleras of the Andes. 

 Towards the east, where the sea-breeze strikes the New 

 Continent, the shore is raised but a few feet above the level 

 of the Atlantic. The Upper Orinoco first runs from east to 

 west, and then from north to south. Where its course is 

 nearly parallel to that of the Amazon, a very hilly country 

 (the group of the mountains of Parima and of Dutch and 

 French Guiana) separates it from the Atlantic, and prevents 

 the wind of rotation from reaching EsmeraldJa. This wind 

 begins to be powerfully felt only from the confluence of the 

 Apure, where the Lower Orinoco runs from west to east in 

 a vast plain open towards the Atlantic, and therefore the 

 climate of this part of the river is less noxious than that of 

 the Upper Orinoco. 



In order to add a third point of comparison, I may 

 mention the valley of the Rio Magdalena, which, like th 

 Amazon, has one direction only, but unfortunately, instead 

 of being that of the breeze, it is from south to north. 

 Situated in the region of the trade-winds, the Eio Magda- 

 lena has the stagnant air of the Upper Orinoco. From the 

 canal of Mahates as far as Honda, particularly south of the 

 town of Mompox, we never felt the wind blow but at the 

 approach of the evening storms. When, on the contrary, 

 you proceed up the river beyond Honda, you find the at- 

 mosphere often agitated. The strong winds that are in- 

 gulied in the valley of Neiva are noted for their excessive 

 heat. We may be at first surprised to perceive that the 

 calm ceases as we approach the lofty mountains in the 

 upper course of the river, but this astonishment ends when 

 wi> recollect that the dry and burning winds of the Llanos 

 de Neiva are the effect of descending currents. The 

 columns of cold air rush from the top of the Nevados of 

 Quindiu and of Guanacas into the valley, driving before 

 tlu-m the lower strata of the atmosphere. Everywhere the 

 unequal heating of the soil, and the proximity of mountains 

 covered with perpetual snow, cause partial currents within 



