286 THE PHYSICAL GEOGRAPHY OF THE SEA. 



827. " During the clianging of the monsoons, it is mostly calm 

 or cool, with gentle breezes, varied with rain-storms and light gales 

 from all points of the compasSo They are harassing to the crew, 

 who, with burning faces under the clouded skies,* impatiently 

 trim the sails to the changing winds. However, the atmosphere 

 generally becomes clear, and, contrary to expectation, the north- 

 west wind comes from a clear sky ; about the coming of the mon- 

 soon it is northerly. Now the clouds are again packed together ; 

 the wind dies away, but it wiJl soon be waked up to come again 

 from another point. Finally, the regular land and sea breezes 

 gradually replace rain, and tempests, calms, and gentle gales. The 



" From the conductor of an electrical machine," says Dr. Bonzano, of New Orleans, 

 "suspend by a wire or chain a small metallic ball (one of wood covered with tin- 

 foil), and under the ball place a rather wide metallic basin containing some oil of tur- 

 pentine, at the distance of about three quarters of an inch. If the handle of the ma- 

 chine be now turned slowly, the liquid in the basin will begin to move in different di- 

 rections, and form whirlpools. As the electricity on the conductor accumulates, the 

 troubled liquid will elevate itself in the centre, and at last become attached to the 

 ball. Draw off the electricity from the conductor to let the liquid resume its position : 

 a portion of the turpentine remains attached to the bail. Turn the handle again very 

 elowly, and observe now the few drops adhering to the ball assume a conical shape, 

 with the apex downward, while the liquid under it assumes also a conical shape, the 

 apex upward, until both meet. As the liquid does not accumulate on the ball, there 

 must necessarily be as great a current downward as upward, giving the column of li- 

 quid a rapid circular motion, which continues until the electricity from the conductor 

 is nearly all discharged, silently, or until it is discharged by a spark descending into 

 the liquid. The same phenomena take place with oil or water. Using the latter 

 liquid, the ball must be brought much nearer, or a much greater quantity of electric- 

 ity is necessary to raise it. 



" If, in this experiment, we let the ball swing to and fro, the little water-spout will 

 travel over its miniature sea, carrying its whirlpools along with it. When it breaks 

 up, a portion of the liquid, and with it any thing it may contain, remains attached to 

 the ball. The fish, seeds, leaves, etc., etc., that have fallen to the earth in rain-squalls, 

 may have owed their elevation to the clouds to the same cause that attaches a few 

 drops of the liquid, with its particles of impurities, to the ball." 



By reference to Plate XIIL, we see that the phenomenon of thunder and lightning 

 is of much more frequent occurrence in the North than in the South Atlantic ; and I 

 infer that we have more electrical phenomena in the northern than in the southern 

 hemisphere. Do water-spouts occur on one side of the equator more frequently than 

 they do on the other 1 I have cruised a great deal on the southern hemisphere, and 

 never saw a water-spout there. According to the log-books at the Observatory, they 

 occur mostly on the north side at the equator. — M. 



* At sea the face and hands burn (change the skin) much quicker under a clouded 

 than under a clear sky. — Jansen. 



