vin THE GULF BREEZE 199 



are enclosed by the mountains and accumulate 

 in one quarter. When they have filled up this 

 quarter and can no longer find accommodation 

 in it, but are squeezed out on one side and move 

 in a particular direction, then you have the 

 wind. It inclines, of course, toward the side to 

 which it is invited by the freer exit, and by the 

 openness of the place toward which the accumu- 2 

 lated elements can rush. A proof of this is that a 

 wind of this kind does not blow in the early part of 

 the night. At that time the gathering only begins, 

 but by daybreak it has reached the full, and seeks 

 relief by flowing off. It chooses its exit by pre- 

 ference where there is the largest empty space and 

 a great expanse of open. It is stimulated by the 

 rays of the rising sun striking on the chilly air. 

 Even before he makes his appearance his light of 

 itself has an influence. The sun does not at that 

 stage, it is true, drive away the atmosphere with his 

 beams ; still, he already attacks and harasses it by 3 

 the shafts of light he sends before him. When he 

 comes out himself in his power, part of the 

 gathering is carried off to a greater altitude, part is 

 dissipated by his heat. Wherefore power is not 

 granted to these winds to continue longer than the 

 morning. All their strength collapses at sight of 

 the sun. Even if their blast is somewhat violent, 

 yet they begin to subside as mid-day approaches ; 

 in fact, the breeze l never lasts as long as noon. Any 

 other variety of the breeze is weaker and shorter in 

 duration ; they vary according as the causes to which 

 they owe their origin are more or less powerful. 



1 The precise meaning of this and the following sentence is doubtful ; one 

 would suspect that the latter originally ran varieties of the breeze are longer 

 or shorter in duration according as, etc. 



