170 OBSEEVATIONS ON THE WINDS 



South and "West, until the end of May. In June, the summer sets in, and 

 the weather becomes hot. Calms now succeed to the gentle breezes of May ; 

 the air is sultry' and oppressive, and long droughts are common, which are 

 often broken up by heavy thunder-storms. In September, the weather 

 changes its character, and becomes again mild and agreeable. 



The dew-point in Bermuda usually ranges high. The climate being 

 therefore moist, is favourable to vegetation at all seasons, except during 

 the droughts of summer, and the storms of winter. 



Hurricanes and tempests are yery frequent, as is to be expected from 

 the proximity of the isles to the variable limit of the Trade and other 

 prevailing winds. Few autumns pass without Hurricanes of more or less 

 violence. 



The Bermuda Squalls are sudden and violent tempests, occurring par- 

 ticularly in the winter season. Some further remarks on this subject will 

 be found in Section III. 



According to the observations registered at Her Majesty's Dockyard, in 

 1853-4, the Easterly winds, or those to the East of North or South, pre- 

 vailed for a mean of 139 days, and Westerly winds for 186 days ; the 

 remainder being made up of calms and variable winds. 



8.-THE ANTI-TRADES OR PASSAGE WINDS. 



(102.) In a previous page, 124 (42), the reason is given for applying the 

 term Anti-Trades to the variable, but Westerly, winds which prevail to the 

 Northward of the Tropic of Cancer. In the consideration of these winds, 

 which only extend over an area, compared to that of the Trade Winds, as 

 5 is to 12 (thus showing their vastly inferior importance in the atmospheric 

 economy), it will be found that it is impossible to accurately define their 

 direction and character at any particular season. The great difference 

 which exists between the winds and seasons of different years, which, 

 however, when combined with a series, show a well-marked and consistent 

 average, will demonstrate that it is only the doctrine of chances which can 

 determine whether a single ship will encounter a particular wind at a par- 

 ticular time and place. Therefore, this Section will be less definite in its 

 teachings than that on the Trade Winds. 



(103.) There is one fact which modern meteorological study has esta- 

 blished, and that is the frequent progress of storms in an Easterly or 

 North-Easterly direction across the Atlantic, in the regions of the Anti- 



