^^TJ^^^^^^^^ 



I 



I 1 



rN NORTH - AMERICA. 



538 



^^ 



would alfo come from the Weft, is prevented or turned 

 back by the fun, who moves with great rapidity on the op- 

 pofite dirediou. The current coming from the North 

 and South falls in with that from the Eaftward, and is 

 prefently bent in the fame diredian. This conftitutes what 

 feamen call a trade ivind;- fuch is found In the Atlantic 

 and in the Great South Sea. 



Were the furface of the earth homogeneous, were it all 

 covered with water, or all fmooth dry land, the eafterly 

 winds would always prevail quite round the globe to fome 

 diftance beyond the tropics. But the waters along the 

 equator are divided by two or three confiderable portions 

 of land, wdiich retain the heat in a different manner from 



the water, and reflect the fun's rays in very different pro- 

 portions, fo that they not only flop the eafterly current of 



air, but often change it to the oppofite diredion. Fora- 

 long the weflerly coafl of Africa, and South-America, the 

 winds commonly blow from the weft. That is to fay, they 

 blow from a cold furface to that which is warmer, they 

 blow from the fea in upon the land. For, 



In warm countries, or in the warm feafonof any coun*-- 

 try, the furface of the land is warmer than the furface of 

 the water. 



In cold feafons of temperate countries, the furface of 

 the land Is colder than the furface of the water: 



The furface of the earth being immovably expofed to the 

 fun, receives and retains the heat, and grows warmer by 

 every adventitious ray; fo that a hard fmooth furface will 

 fometlmes become intolerable to the touch, but the heat 

 does not fink deep, except in a confiderable progrcfs of 



time. 



The furface of the fea is not foon heated, for the par- 

 ticles which are uppermofl this hour^ will prefently be 

 overwhelmed by thofe which are colder, and they by others 

 in fucceffion ; whence it happens^ that though the furface 

 of the fea will not become fo warm by a fummer's heat as 

 the furface of the earth in the fame climate, yet the heat 

 will penetrate deeper, and be longer retained-- Let 



Ml! 



I 





