116. Meteors* 



tion of all the circumjacent air towards 

 that part to restore it ; and this motion 

 of the air is what we call whid. 



Hence, with respect to that place where 

 the equilibrium of the air is disturbed, we 

 see the wind may blow from every point 

 of the compass at the same time; and those 

 who live northwards of that point have a 

 north wind ; those who live southwards, 

 a south wind ; and so of the rest : But 

 those who live on the spot, where all these 

 winds meet and interfere, are oppressed 

 with turbulent and boisterous weather, 

 whirlwinds and hurricanes ; with rain, 

 tempest, lightning, thunder, &c. 



Many are the particular causes which 

 produce winH by interrupting the equi- 

 poise of the atmosphere ; but the most 

 general causes are two, viz. heat, which, 

 by rarefying the air, makes it lighter in 

 some places than it is in others ; and cold 

 which, by condensing it, makes it heavier. 

 Hence it is, that in all parts over the tor- 

 rid zone, the air being more rarefied by 

 3 greater quantity of the solar rays, is 

 much lighter than in the other parts of the 

 atmosphere, and most of all over the 

 equatorial parts of the earth. And since 



