this commotion in the elements?"

"The equilibrium of the atmosphere is disturbed by a variety of
actions;--the diurnal motion of the sun, whose rays penetrate the air
at various points; absorption and radiation, which varies according to
the nature of the soil and the hour of the day; the inequality of the
solar heat, according to seasons and latitude; the formation and
condensation of vapor, that absorbs caloric in its formation, and
disengages it when being resolved into liquid."

"I never thought," remarked Willis, "that there were so many mysteries
in a sou'-easter. Does it blow? is it on the starboard or larboard?
was all, in fact, that I cared about knowing."

"In a word, the various circumstances that change the actual density
of the air, making it more rarefied at one point than another, produce
currents, the force and direction of which depend upon the relative
position of hot and cold atmospheric beds. Again, the winds acquire
the temperature and characteristics of the regions they traverse."

"That," observed Frank, "is like human beings; you may generally
judge, by the language and manners of a man, the places that he is
accustomed to frequent."

"There are hot and cold winds, wet and dry; then there are the trade
winds."

"Ah, yes," cried Willis, "these are the winds to talk of, especially
when sailing with them--that is, from east to west; but when your
course is different, they are rather awkward affairs to get ahead of.
The way to catch them is to sail from Peru to the Philippines."

"Or from Mexico to China."

"Yes, either will do; then there is no necessity for tacking, you have
only to rig your sails and smoke your pipe, or go to sleep; you may,
in that way, run four thousand leagues in three months."

"Stiff sailing that, Willis."

"Yes, Master Ernest, but it does not come up to your yarn about the
stars, you recollect, ever so many millions of miles in a second!"

"The trade winds, I was going to observe," continued Becker, "that
blow from the west coast of Africa, carry with them a stifling heat."

"That might be expected," remarked Frank, "since they pass over the
hot sands of the desert."

"Well, can you tell me why the same wind is cooler on the east coast
of America?"

"Because it has been refreshed on crossing the ocean that separates
the two continents?"

"By taking a glass of grog on the way," suggested Willis.

"Yes; and so in Europe the north wind is cold because it ca