210 



Without these gales to fan us also, in the' heat, of 

 summer, even in 'our temperate- climate, men would i.ard- 

 ly be able to get through their daily labour, without en- 

 dangering, their health.* These are ptrpetuul in the 

 torrid zone, and make what the ancients imagined to be 

 not habitable to any but wild btd.sts, a healthful and 

 pleasant habitation. 



Of what use likewise are the winds, to transport men 

 to the distant regions of the world I Particularly, the 

 general and coasting trade winds, the sea and the land 

 breezes : the one serving to carry the mariners in long 

 voyages from east -to west : the other, to waft him to 

 particular places : the one serving to carry him into his 

 harbour, the other to bring him out. Sea breezes com- 

 monly rise in the morning about nine o'clock. They 

 first approach, the shore gently, as if they were afraid to 

 come near it. The breeze comes in a fine, small, black 

 curl upon the water, whereas all the sea between it and 

 the share, is as smooth -and even as glass, in half an 

 hour after it reaches the shore, it fans pretty briskly, 

 and so increases gradually till twelve o'clock: then it is 

 commonly the strongest. It lasts so till two or three. 

 At three it begins to die away, till about five it is lulled 

 asleep. x As the sea breezes blow in the day*, and rest ia 

 the night ; the land breezes blow in the night, and rest 

 in the day. They spring up between six and twelve at 

 flight, and last till six, eight, or nine,>in 4he morning. 



The clouds and rain are iia less useful meteors than 

 the winds, as is manifest in the refreshing .shades- which 

 the clouds afford, and the fertile dews and showers, which 

 they pour down on the trees and plants, which would 



* July 8, 1707, called frf some time after the Hot Tuesday, was 

 so excessively hot and suffocating, by reason or' there being no 

 wind at aH, that divers persons died in their harvest work. A 

 healthy, lusty, young man, near Upminster in particular, was killed 

 en the spt by the heat, and several travellers on the road dr opt 

 down and died. - 



