306 
HARRINGTON, 
tinental divide. Thus the gentle summer monsoons receive 
a push from behind, and this gives them more persistency 
and constancy than the more distinctly monsoonal and more 
violent winter winds from the north. Here again are re¬ 
produced the conditions of the monsoons of the Indian ocean, 
more especially those of the Arabian sea, where there exists 
a very similar aid from the general circulation. 
To summarize, briefly, for this interesting set of monsoons: 
The air flows northward from the western part of the 
Gulf of Mexico from March to October, and in the summer 
reaches our northern boundary along a strip about ten degrees 
wide. It flows south during the winter in Texas, but is 
subject to sudden accessions called “ northers,” due to cyclonic 
or anti-cyclonic action. This action also frequently disturbs 
the summer south winds, and the latter are re-enforced by 
winds prevailing during their season in the Gulf. 
These winds play a very important part in the climate of 
all Texas, except the extreme west. The southerly winds 
(or southeasterly toward the central or western part of the 
State) bring coolness and comfort with them in the very 
season coolness is most needed. The surgeon of the mili¬ 
tary station at Austin says: * “ Although the sun is ex¬ 
tremely hot in summer, the temperature of the atmosphere 
is much modified by the southeasterly breeze that blows 
almost continuously during the twenty-four hours.” At 
Fort McKavett, which is northwest from San Antonio 
and about as far from that place as the latter is from the 
coast, the surgeon speaks off “the delightful breezes of 
morning and evening throughout the latter part of the spring 
and the entire summer and fall.” Fort McKavett is near 
the western margin of the summer monsoon. At Fort Rich¬ 
ardson, near the Red river and south of southwestern Indian 
Territory, these winds are referred to as constant. 
* U. S. War Department, Surgeon General’s office. Report on the hygi¬ 
ene of the U. S. Army, etc., 8°, Washington, 1875, p. 183. 
f Ibid., page 217. 
