W I N 
Thus, when a great ftone is call into the water, we 
fee a great agitation round about the place where it 
fell ; but the more the waves retire from the center of 
motion, the flower and the lefs fenfible they grow ; 
and as fuch motions do not lalt long in water, no 
more do they in the air, for the fame reafon. 
Though there may be Urtilfual ftorms of Wind any 
where, the air and vapours are drawn together there- 
about by contrary Winds, yet they are more freqdent 
about the Caribbee iflands, efpecially in June and 
Auguft, when the fun is vertical there, for their air be- 
ing rarefied by the fun’s heat, the ufual Winds bring 
thither a vaft quantity of air and vapours, which be- 
ing crouded together, in the gulf of America, caufe 
a great eftuatibn about the neighbouring iflands. 
When the fun is on this fide the equator, the air is 
more rarefied thereabouts, and it may fo happen, that 
the fouth-fouth-eaft Wind, which conftantly blows 
beyond the line, may fometimes tranfgrefs its limits, 
and bring the vapours of th'e JEthiopic fea to the fame 
place where thofe of the Atlantic are already gather- 
ed ; which, being kept in by the fliore of America, 
muft neceffarily be driven about the Cafibbee iflands. 
Of the qualities of Winds, 
i. A Wind that blows from the fea is always moift ; 
in fummer it is cold, in winter warm, uniefs the fea 
be frozen up. This is well demonftrated thus : there 
is vapour continually rifirig out of all water (as ap- 
pears even htnce, that a quantity bf water, being 
left a little while in an open veffel, is found fenfibly 
diminifhed,) but efpecially if it be expofed to the 
fun’s rays, in which cafe the evaporation is beyoiid 
all expectation. By this means the air incumbent on 
the fea becomes impregnated with a deal of vapour, 
but the Winds, blowing from off the fea, fweep thefe 
vapours along With them, and Confequently are always 
moifV. 
Again, water in fummer, &c. conceives lefs heat 
than terreftriai bodies, expofed to the fame rays of 
the fun j but in Winter, fea water is warmer than the 
earth, covered with frofi, fnow* &c. Wherefore, as 
the air, Contiguous to any body, is found to partake 
of its heat and cold % the air, contiguous to fea wa- 
ter, will be warmer in winter, and colder in fummer, 
than that contiguous to the earth : or thus ; vapours 
raifed from water by the kin’s warmth in winter, are 
warmer than the air they rife in, as appears from the 
vapours condenfing, and become vifible, almoft as 
foon as they are got out into the air. Frefli quantities 
of vapours therefore, continually warming the atmo- 
fphere over the fea, will raife its heat beyond that 
over the land. 
Again, the fun’s rays reflected from the earth into the 
air in fummer, are much more than thofe from the 
water into the air. The air therefore over the earth, 
warmed by the reflection of more rays than that over 
water, is warmer. Hence fea Winds make cloudy 
hazy weather. 
2. Winds which blow from the continent are always 
dry, in fummer warm, and cold in winter ; for there 
is much lefs vapour arifing from the earth, than from 
w r ater, and therefore the air over the continent will be 
impregnated with much fewer vapours : add, that the 
vapours or exhalations raifed by a great degree of 
heat out of the earth, are much finer and lefs fenfible 
than thofe from water. The Wind therefore, blow- 
ing over the continent, carries but little vapour with 
it, and is therefore dry. 
Our northern and fouthern Winds, however, which 
are commonly efteemed the caufes of cold and warm 
weather. Dr. Derham obferves (as we havb laid,) are 
really the effe&s of the cold or warmth of the atmo- 
iphere : hence it is, that we frequently fee a warm 
foutherly Wind on a fudden changed to the north, 
by the fall of fnow or hail, and that in a cold frofty 
morning we fee the Wind north, which afterward 
wheels about toward the foutherly quarters, when the 
a 
fun has well warmed the air, and again in the cold 
evening turns northerly or eafterly. 
Some Winds are drying, others ^re moifc •, feme ga^ 
ther clouds, others difperfe them feme are warm, 
others cold, but their influence is not one and the lame 
in all places, for fuch Winds as are warm in one coi . 
try are cold in another * thofe that are wet with us 
are dry with other nations, and on the contrary. 
The dry Winds are fuch as carry but a few vapours 
along with them, and therefore lick off' the moift par- 
ticles from the bodies over which they pafs ; and thus 
in Holland the north and eaft Winds, with the inter- 
mediate points, are drying, becaufe the cold northern 
fea yields but few vapours in comparifon of thofe that 
come from warmer parts of the ocean, but the wefter- 
ly Winds and others are moift, becaufe they iffue from 
warm and vaporous parts* the weftern Wind feldom 
failing to fend rain. 
Such Winds gather clouds, which blow from the 
quarters where the vapours arife, which, in conjunc- 
tion with the vapours of our own region, fill the air ; 
and, on the contrary, thofe that bring little vapours 
along with them, and bear away that which hangs 
over us, bring fair weather. 
Winds are either warm or cold, as the countries are 
from whence they blow { and therefore when a brifk 
wind blows from a cold quarter, it allays the heat of 
fummer, which is very troubleiome in ftill weather. 
Thus a quick blaft of a pair of bellows will put out a 
flame, which a gentle blowing increafes *, for the quick 
blaft drives all the flame to one fide, where it is ftifled 
by the force of the incumbent air for Want of aliment*: 
but a gentle wind augments the motion of the flame 
every way, and makes it feize on more parts of fuel. 
Now, becaufe all the heat or cold of Wind proceeds 
from the heat or cold of the country where it blows* 
therefore the fame Winds are cold or hot every where* 
Beyond the line they are juft the reverfe of what they 
are with us ; their cold Winds are from the fouth, 
ours from the north ; and as our fouth Winds are 
warm, from no other reafon, but becaufe they bring 
us an air heated by the fun, for the very fame reafon 
the north Winds are warm to our antipodes. 
From what has been faid, it is evident, that the fun 
is the caufe of the Wind* and motion the caiife of va- 
pours. 
Prognojlics of weather from the Wind, 
The Winds, Mr. Pointer fays, are the caufes of the 
moft fudden and extraordinary alterations of the air. 
The nature of the Winds are fuch, that by the expe- 
rience we have of them, we may very nearly predict 
what weather we ihall have for two or three days af- 
ter i as for example, we know that, in our climate, 
a fouth Wind generally brings rain, and a weft Wind 
more •, and a Weft Vfind is the predominant Wind; 
with us, becaufe the ocean lies on the weft fide of our 
country. 
And alfo, that a north Wind brings fair weather to 
us, as well as the eaft Wind, which does not laft fo 
long as the north ; therefore the north-eaft and fouth- 
weft Winds are thofe that are neceffary chiefly to be 
treated of. 
Mr. Pointer gives the following rules to know when 
the Wind will fet in one of thefe two points, for the 
moft part, for two or three months together. Firft, as 
to the north-eaft Wind •, when the Wind turns to the 
north-eaft point, and continues in it two days without 
rain, and does neither turn to the fouthward the third 
day, nor rain, then it is likely to continue eight or nine 
days without rain, and then to return into the fouth. 
If this Wind turns out of the fouth to the north-eaft 
agairi, and continues two days in that point without 
rain, and neither rains nor turns to the fouth the 
third day, it is likely to continue north-eaft for two 
months, and for the moft part for three months. The 
Wind will finifh thefe turns toward the north in three 
weeks time. 
Secondly* 
