1846.] Meteorology of Western Asia. 163 



and southerly winds. On looking over the daily observations of 

 a year, I find the northeasterly winds most prevalent, and that 

 during the whole time there were but two instances of the winds 

 blowing directly across the straits for the entire day, in one of 

 which it was from the east, and in the other from the west. The 

 mildness of its temperature during the winter, is greater than that 

 of the same latitude in tlie United States, and it is very rare to 

 have any considerable fall of snow; but at the same time there 

 are enough cold rainy days to make the weather on the whole 

 seem more chilly than the bracing air of New England. During 

 the summer there is less of rain and a greater proportion of warm 

 pleasant weather than is enjoyed by the middle and New England 

 states, but ordinarily there is enough rain to bring grain to matu- 

 rity without artificial irrigation. There is a common saying here, 

 that one must keep his best fuel until March, and it is observed 

 by foreign residents, that although spring seems pretty uniformly 

 to open in February or the first of March, with fine weather, 

 there are after this, several days if not weeks of the most uncom- 

 fortable chilly weather of the whole year. 



Broosa. — The inland situation of Broosa, and its location at the 

 foot of Mount Olympus, — which is 7,000 feet high and preserves 

 snow on its top throughout the entire year, — causes a greater an- 

 nual range than exists at any of the sea-ports from which we have 

 records, though not so great as that of Erzeroom, Mosul and Oor- 

 raia. The effect of the sirocco is more trying and opressive 

 than at either of the places already mentioned, and I should think 

 from my limited observations, that this wind there, is for some 

 reason, peculiarly frequent. Stilt Broosa is considered a very 

 favorable climate for invalids, and crowds of people flock there 

 during the summer to recruit their health at the natural hot baths 

 with which the vicinity of the place abounds. 



Smyrna. — The annual range of temperature at Smyrna is not 

 very great, but the average daily range, 14'', is wider than that of 

 any of the other places from which we have observations. Its 

 winter consists in a damp, rainy season, and is rarely marked with 

 slight falls of snow; but Americans who arrive here from Boston 

 during this portion of the year, uniformly feel more inconvenience 

 from cold than during previous winters at home, but whether this 

 may not be mainly owing to the change experienced on leaving 

 the sea, is a reasonable question, to settle which, facts are needed 

 that we do not yet possess. The summer of Smyrna is warm com- 

 pared with that of any of the aforementioned places, and on this 

 account, it is the more to be regretted that our records from this 

 place are deficient for the months of July and August. 



Beirut. — The warm climate of this place is what might be ex- 

 pected from its latitude; and the slight annual range of tempera- 



