Chap. 48.] KATtTBB OP THB WINDS. 77 



severity of the storms does not entirely close up the sea. 

 In former times, pirates were compelled,by the fear of death, 

 to rush into death, and to brave the winter ocean ; now we 

 are driven to it by avarice'. 



CHAP. 48. — NATUBB OP THE WDfDS'. 



Those are the coldest winds which are said to blow from 

 the seven stars, and Corns, which is contiguous to them; 

 these also restrain the others and dispel the clouds. The 

 moist winds are Africus, and, still more, the Auster of Italy. 

 It is said that, in Pontus, Cseciaa attracts the clouds. The 

 dry winds are Corns and Vultumus, especiallj^ when they 

 are about to cease blowing. The winds that bring snow are 

 Aquilo and Septemtrio ; Septemtrio brings hail, and so does 

 Corus ; Auster is sultry, Vultumus and Zephyrus are warm. 

 These winds are more dry than Subsolanus, and generally 

 those which blow from the north and west are more dry than 

 those which blow from the south and east. Aquilo is the 

 most healthy of them all ; Auster is unhealthy, and more so 

 when dry ; it is colder, perhaps because it is moist. Animals 

 are supposed to have leas appetite for food when this wind is 

 blowing. The Etesiffi generally ceaae during the night, and 

 spring up at the third hour of the da^'. In Spain and in 

 Asia these winds have an easterly direction, in Pontus a 

 northerly, and in other places a southerly direction. They 

 blow also after the winter solstice, when they are called Or- 

 nithiae*, but they are more gentle and continue only for a 

 few days. There are two T^inds which change their nature 

 with their situation; in Africa Auster is attended with a 

 clear sky, while Aquilo collects the clouds*. Almost all 



less irregular than those of England, Pliny has considerably exaggerated 

 tlie real fact. 



^ On this subject the reader may peruse the remarks of Seneca^ Kat. 

 Qucest. V. 18, written in his style of flowery declamation. 



^ The greatest part of the remarks on the nature of the winds, in this 

 chapter, would appear to be taken from Aristotle's Treatise De Meteor., 

 and it may be stated generally, that our author has formed his opinions 

 more upon those of the Greek writers than upon actual observation. 



\ 9 A.M. * In the last chapter Omithias is said to be a west wind. 



* This obviously depends upon the geographical situation of the north- 

 em parts of Africa, to which the observation more particularly applies, 

 with respect to the central part of the Continent and the Mediterraneaa. 

 See the remarks of Alexandre, in Lemaire, i. 340. 



