VOL. LXXI.] PHILOSOPHICAL TRANSACTIONS. 2? 



beyond Whydah is covered for 400 miles back, with verdure, open plains of 

 grass, clumps of trees, and some woods of no considerable extent. The surface 

 is sandy, and below that a rich reddish earth; it rises with a gentle ascent for 

 1 50 miles from the sea before there is the appearance of a hill, without afford- 

 ing a stone of the size of a walnut. Beyond these hills there is no account of 

 any great ranges of mountains. With respect to the origin of this wind, 

 Mr. Norris says, " the harmattan, according to Dr. Lind, arises from the con- 

 flux of several rivers about Benin; but when I was on a visit to the King of 

 Dahomey, 120 miles north, or inland from the fort at Whydah, I there felt the 

 harmattan blowing from the n. e. stronger than I have at any other time, though 

 Benin then bore from me s. e." On this head Mr. Norris makes the following 

 conjecture: " The intersection of 3 lines, viz. an east line drawn from Cape 

 Verd, a north-east one from the centre of the Gold Coast, and a north line 

 from Cape Lopez, would point out a probable source of this extraordinary wind." 

 Three lines, drawn according to the direction of Mr. Norris, towards the points 

 of the compass from which the harmattan blows on Cape Verd, the Gold Coast, 

 and Cape Lopez, converge to a part of Africa about the 15th degree of n. lati- 

 tude, and the 25th degree of e. longitude, which is that part of Africa where, 

 according to Ptolemy, the mountains of Caphas are situated. From these 

 mountains, according to the same authority, the river Daradus arose, supposed 

 by some to be now the river Senegal. It may be conjectured, that the dis- 

 agreeable Levant wind of the Mediterranean proceeds from the same part of 

 the continent of Africa; for it prevails during the same season of the year, and 

 may derive its qualities from the surface over which it passes. 



The last article of information with which I have been favoured by 

 Mr. Norris, is an account of the manner in which the Fantee nation divide 

 their year. Aherramantah, or the harmattan, from the 1st of December to the 

 middle of February, about 10 weeks. Quakorah, a wind up the coast, from 

 s. s. w. to s. s. e. from the middle of February to the first week in March, about 

 3 weeks. Pempina, or tornado season, part of March, all April, and the 

 greatest part of May, about 12 weeks. Abrenama, or the old man's and 

 woman's children, that is, the Pleiades, the rainy season, the latter end of May, 

 all June, and to about the 20th of July, 8 weeks. Atukogan, or 5 stars, that 

 is, Orion, high wind and squally, the rains very heavy, to the middle of August, 

 3 weeks. Worrobakorou, or one star, the ceasing of the rains, about 3 weeks. 

 Mawurrah, the name of a certain star ; close, foggy weather and no breeze, the 

 first 3 weeks in September. Boutch, no land breeze in this season, the wind 

 blows fresh down the coast, about 6 weeks. Autiophi, or the croziers; tornados 

 and southerly wind, with some rain, generally called the latter rains, about 4 



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