ted in like manner, and so
are the S. E. trades upon the western coast of South America. Where the
coast mountain ranges are very elevated, as upon the western coast of the
American continent, this attracting influence and consequent deflection
extends to a considerable distance seaward, and hence the westerly winds
of California, etc. It must be understood that we are now speaking of the
winds which blow within the range and during the existence of the
trade-winds or the presence of the dry belt--for the trades are not always
perceptible on the land. Captain Fitzroy thus describes the sea breezes of
the western coast of Peru, at 23 deg. south latitude. "The tops of the hills
on the coast of Peru are frequently covered with heavy clouds. The
prevailing winds are from S. S. E. to S. W., seldom stronger than a fresh
breeze, and often very slight. _Sometimes during the summer, for three or
four successive days, there is not a breath of wind, the sky is
beautifully clear, with a nearly vertical sun._ On the days that a sea
breeze sets in, it generally commences about ten in the morning, then
light and variable, but gradually increasing till one or two in the
afternoon. From that time a steady breeze prevails till near sunset, when
it begins to die away, and soon after the sun is down there is a calm.
About eight or nine in the evening _light winds_ come off the land, and
continue till sun-rise, when it again becomes calm until the sea breeze
sets in as before."

To illustrate this further, I take the following letter from Professor
Espy's Philosophy of Storms:

CLINTON HOTEL, N. Y., Dec. 20, 1839.

TO PROFESSOR ESPY,

DEAR SIR,--Understanding you are desirous of collecting curious
meteorological facts, I take the liberty of communicating to you what
I saw in the month of December, 1815, at the Island of Owhyhee. I lay
at that island in the Cavrico Bay,[3] in which Captain Cook was
killed, three weeks, and every day during that time, very soon after
the sea breeze set in, say about nine o'clock, a cloud began to form
round the lofty conical mountain in that island, in the form of a
ring, as the wooden horizon surrounds the terrestrial artificial
globe, and it soon began to rain in torrents, and continued through
the day. In the evening the sea breeze died away and the rain ceased,
and the cloud soon disappeared, and it remained entirely clear till
afte