MifceUanea Curioja. 93 



fo as to form Rain, otherwife the natural Confe- 

 quence of the Airs Rarifa6tion, 



4. Why cxteris paribus the Mercury [lands 

 highefl upon an Eaflerly or North- Rafter ly Wind ? 

 This happens becaufe that in the great Atlantic^ 

 Ocean, on this fide the thirty fifth Degree of North 

 Latitude, the Wefterly and South- Wefterly 

 Trade-Winds blow almpft always ; fb that when- 

 ever here the Wind comes up ar Eaft and North- 

 Eaft, 'tis fure to be checked by a contrary Gale, 

 as foon as it reaches the Ocean ; wherefore, ac- 

 cording to what is made out in our lecond Re- 

 mark, the Air muft needs be heaped over this 

 Ifland ; and confequently the Mercury muft 

 ftand high, as often as the(e Winds blow. This 

 holds true in this Country, but is not a gene- 

 ral Rule for others, where the Winds are under 

 different Circumftances j and I have ibmetimes 

 feen the Mercury here as low as twenty nine 

 Inches, upon an Ealterly Wind, but then k 

 blows exceeding hard, and fo comes to be ac- 

 counted for by what was obfav'd upon the third 

 Remark, 



5. Why in calm Weather the Mercury gene- 

 nerally [lands high ? The caufe hereof is, as I 

 conceive, that it feldom freezes but when the 

 Winds come out of the Northern and North- 

 Eaftern Quarters, or at leaft unlels thole Winds 

 blow at no great diftance off; for the Nor- 

 thern Parts of Germany, Denmark* Sweden, Nor- 

 toay, and all that Tra£t from whence North- 

 Eaftern Winds come, are ftibjcft to almoft con- 

 tinual Froft all the Winter ; and thereby the 

 lower Air is very much condensed, and in that. 

 State is brought hitherwards by thefe Windy, 



