190 APPENDIX. 



" In regard to my record of the Avinds, I must say, that if I had been situated 

 where I had a high vane to guide me, the table would probably have shown some 

 slight veerings to the east or west, which do not now appear. There is, however, 

 no doubt of the fact, that the wind here, as a general thing, blows either from the 

 north-east or the south-west. A wind, from either of the four cardinal points, never 

 continues long in Constantinople. During the fifteen or sixteen years that I have 

 been here, I have noticed that our prevailing wind in summer, is north-east. In- 

 deed, from July to October it is so constantly and regularly from that quarter as to 

 be almost a monsoon ; and during that period, the nights are very apt to be calm. 

 The wind begins to blow gently soon after sunrise, and it increases until, say two 

 o'clock, when it not unfrequently blows very strong, and then gradually dies away, 

 and, soon after sunset, it becomes calm again. During the prevalence of this wind 

 ill summer, the atmosphere is usually clear, or, at least, there are only flying clouds, 

 without rain ; but, in winter, the north wind always brings clouds and rain. When 

 the south wind blows in summer, it is usually a mere land breeze, and I have often 

 myself observed, in passing up the Bosphorus on a summer's day, when the wind is 

 south-west at the entrance of the Bosphorus into the Sea of Marmora, it is north- 

 east at the northern end of the same strait, i. e. as it issues from the Black Sea. 

 I have known it to blow all day thus in opposite directions, the two Avinds meeting 

 at the middle of the strait where it was perfectly calm. 



" One fact you will probaljly notice from my table, and that is, that there is far 

 more southerly wind in winter than in summer. And this leads me to say a word 

 in reference to jonv question, whether I know of any local cause, besides the direc- 

 tion of the straits, that would affect the wind? About seventy or eighty miles 

 south of us is the high range of Mount Olympus (not Thessalian, but Bithynian), 

 whose summit is at least eight thousand feet above the sea level ; and, of course, in 

 winter, it is covered Avith an immense mass of snoAV. This has been supposed to 

 be the chief cause of our having so much southerly Avind in winter. I do not give 

 this as my opinion, hoAvever, but I simply state the fact of such a mountain being 

 in such a relative position to the capital, and also an inference that has been drawn 

 from that fiict. I have ahvays noticed that our coldest weather in winter comes 

 when the southerly Avind first begins to bloAv, which I account for on the supposi- 

 tion that such a Avind brings first over us the frozen atmosphere of Olympus, and 

 other high ranges of mountains in the interior. But if the wind continues two or 

 three days (and it sometimes does two of three weeks uninterruptedly in Avinter), it 

 is sure to bring mild and almost summer weather. The barometer here invariably 

 sinks Avitli a southerly Avind, and the rain point is much higher Avith a northerly 

 than AA'itli a southerly AA'ind. I have sometimes noticed an alarming fall in the 

 barometer, but I soon learned not to anticipate any unusual storm from that, if the 

 wind Avas just coming from the south or south-west. Our heaviest blovA's, and our 

 most copious rains, ordinarily come just as the wind is changing from a southerly 

 to a northerly direction. 



" As you are interesting yourself in the study of the Aviuds, I will just mention 

 one more fact, though an isolated one. (I wish I had more of them.) Three 

 years ago, I was in Smyrna, in the autumn, Avhen we had one of the most dreadful 



