UNITED STATES. 



in winter, that, while^a clear sky, and bright sun de- 

 light the eye and invite you to enjoy the open air, if 

 you venture out of doors you are assailed by a cutting 

 wind, that makes the face sore and draws tears from 

 the eyes, and the broad impetuous gusts of v/hich 

 render your steps insecure over the icy surface of the 

 ground. Less rude in summer, it is longed for to 

 moderate the violence of the heat; and indeed it 

 pretty frequently shews itself in that season after a 

 heavy storm of rain and thunder. But as it is impos- 

 sible that the lapse of half an hour is sufficient for it 

 to have come from any distance, it is evident on such 

 occasions it must descend from the superior regions 

 of the atmosphere, which in these latitudes is not 

 more than 3000 or 3200 yards distant : the vacuum 

 beiiig formed near the ground by the condensation of 

 the clouds into rain, the upper stratum sinks down to 

 £ 11 it ; an d the direct! on it acqui re s is from north - west to 

 south-east, because the atmosphere toward the ocean, 

 as far as the tropic, consists of a light warm air, in- 

 capable of maintaining an equilibrium against this 

 coid and heavy current ; while the reflux of the 

 soutli-west and of the trade-wind of the tropics, the 

 countercurrent of which comes to fill these middle 

 latitudes, prevents it from taking its course due south. 

 All these currents appear to unite together, to form 

 on the Atlantic ocean, from the latitude of 35 deg. to 

 48 deg. and 50 deg, that westerly wind, which we 

 fmd almost perpetually prevailing on the coasts of 

 Eitgland, FrariCe, and Spain. 



This attraction or suction of the Atlantic atmos- 

 phere is confirmed by the foiiowing observation of 



