Chap. 48.] ITATUEE OF THE WINDS. 77 
severity of the storms does not entirely close up the sea. 
In former times, pirates were compelled,by the fear of death, 
to rush into death, and to brave the winter ocean j now we 
are driven to it by avarice \ 
CHAP. 48. IfATUEE OE THE WINDS ^. 
Those are the coldest winds which are said to blow from 
the seven stars, and Corns, which is contiguous to them ; 
these also restrain the others and dispel the clouds. The 
moist winds are Africus, and, still more, the Auster of Italy. 
It is said that, in Pontus, Csecias attracts the clouds. The 
dry winds are Corns and Yulturnus, especially when they 
are about to cease blowing. The winds that bring snow are 
Aquilo and Septemtrio ; Septemtrio brings hail, and so does 
Corns ; Auster is sultry, Vulturnus and Zephyrus are warm. 
These winds are more dry than Subsolanus, and generally 
those which blow from the north and west are more dry than 
those which blow from the south and east. Aquilo is the 
most healthy of them all ; Auster is unhealthy, and more so 
when dry ; it is colder, perhaps because it is moist. Animals 
are supposed to have less appetite for food when this wind is 
blowing. The Etesise generally cease during the night, and 
spring up at the third hour of the day^. In Spain and in 
Asia these winds have an easterly direction, in Pontus a 
northerly, and in other places a southerly direction. They 
blow also after the winter solstice, when they are called Or- 
nithiaD^, but they are more gentle and continue only for a 
few days. There are two winds which change their nature 
with their situation ; in Africa Auster is attended with a 
clear sky, while Aquilo collects the clouds^. Almost all 
less irregular than those of England, Pliny has considerably exaggerated 
the real fact. 
^ On this subject the reader may peruse the remarks of Seneca, iPTat. 
Qusest. V. 18, written in his style of flowery declamation. 
2 The greatest part of the remarks on the nature of the winds, in this 
chapter, would appear to be taken from Aristotle's Treatise De Meteor., 
and it may be stated generally, that our author has formed iiis opinions 
more upon those of the Grreek writers than upon actual observation. 
2. 9 A.M. ^ In the last chapter Omithias is said to be a west wind. 
^ This obviously depends upon the geographical situation of the north- 
em parts of Africa, to which the observation more particularly appHcB, 
with respect to the central part of the Oontiuent and the Mediterraneaiu 
See the remarks of Alexandre, in. Lemaire, i. 340. 
