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UNITED STATES. 



after it passes the chain of the Caribbee islands, its 

 stream is more and more contracted, and its strength 

 accumulated within a narrower space. This com- 

 pression increases its velocity ; and as it issues from 

 between them, it expands itself with more force, and 

 forms eddies in their rear, each current contending 

 for the vacuum there, 



The trade wind of the Atlantic, when it reaches 

 the Musquito shore, is opposed by the mountains of 

 that isthmus, which are a continuation of the Andes, 

 and passes through the only opening left for it, viz. 

 between Jamaica and the Musquito shore, and enters 

 the sea of Honduras, where it deviates a little, and 

 becomes south-east ; and meeting with no obstacle, 

 enters the gulf of Mexico in this direction, when it 

 subdivides into several branches ; one crosses the 

 peninsula of Yucatan, proceeds towards the interior 

 of Mexico, and ascends the rivers of that country, as 

 far as the mountains of New Biscay, New Mexico, 

 and Santa Fe, It must be the same branch of the 

 wind, which having reached the mountains of New 

 Mexico, assumes another character, and pours down 

 on the north-west coast, and proves so cold,* from 

 having passed over the ice and snow that cover the 

 Mexican mountains. 



A second branch of the Atlantic trade-wind takes 

 its course towards the shores of Louisiana and Flo- 

 rida ; its direction is south-west ; yet on the Missis- 

 sippi, following the bed of the river and its valley, it 

 is due south. 



A third branch, towards the peninsula of Florida, 



* Meaim*s Voyage. 



