hurricanes; tyfoons. 231 



of the lower. The south-west current established 

 by one means or the other, while it seeks to press 

 itself into the north-east "trade/* is turned by 

 the resistance of the latter from its own direction 

 towards the north-east, and forced to strike across 

 the West-Indian Sea. So long as it remains within 

 the trade-region, the whirlwind proceeding in this 

 direction takes its onward course almost in a 

 straight line ; as soon, however, as it passes the 

 limit of the trade-wind, and gets into the region of 

 the south-west wind, its course bends suddenly 

 round towards the north-east, it spreads itself out, 

 and loses much of its violence, because the resistance 

 opposed to its passage towards the north-east, 

 namely, the contrary north-east trade-wind, is now 

 withdrawn. 



The whirlwinds in the East Indian Seas, which 

 occur when the north-east monsoon is passing into 

 the south-west monsoon, as well as the Tyfoons 

 of the China Sea, owe their origin and direction 

 to similar conditions. 



In Western Europe the storms come generally 

 from the south-west, and arise from the struggle 

 of a powerful south-west current with that setting 

 from the north-east. From the manner in which 

 tempests are raised, the reason is clear why, during 

 a storm, the wind-vane may be carried round to 

 every point of the compass, why violent blasts may 

 be followed by sudden calms, and why the wind 



