The works of Francis Bacon, lord chancellor of England.

444 NATURAL HISTORY OF WINDS.
sea;butas a second western ocean, being stretched 1. With us the south wind is rainy, and the
out in the like situation as the Atlantic sea is. northern wind clear and fair, the one gathers to10. Sea winds are questionless more moist than gether and nourishes the clouds; the other scatland winds, but yet they are more pure, and will ters and casts them off. Wherefore the poets,
easilier, and with more equality be incorporated when they speak of the deluge, feign the northern
with the pure air. For terrestrial winds are ill wind at that time to be shut up in prison, and the
composed, and smoky. Neither let any one ob- south wind to be sent out with very large comject, that they ought to be grosser by reason of the mission.
saltness of the sea. For the nature of terrestrial 2. The west wind hath with us been held to be
salt doth not rise in vapours. the wind which blew in the golden age, the com11. Sea winds are lukewarm or cold, by reason panion of a perpetual spring, and a cherisher of
of the two foresaid qualities, humidity and pure- flowers.
ness. For by humidity they mitigate the colds, 3. Paracelsus his scholars, when they sought
(for dryness increaseth both heat and cold,) and for a place for their three principles in Juno's
with their pureness they cool. Therefore without temple also, which is the air, placed three, but
the tropics they are lukewarm, within the tropics found no place for the east wind.
they are cold. They Mercury ascribe to the south winds,
12. I believe that sea winds are everywhere To the rich western blasts the sulphur mines,
attendant upon particular countries, especially And rugged Boreas' blasts the sad salt finds.
such as stand upon the sea-coasts: that is to say, 4. But with us in England the east wind is
winds blow more frequently from that side where thought to be mischievous, so that it goes for a
the sea is, by reason of the greater plenty of mat- proverb, "6 that when the wind is in the east, it is
ter which winds have in the sea, than in the land; neither good for Inan nor beast."
unless there be some firm wind blowing from the 5. The south wind blows from the presence of
land, for some peculiar reason. But let no man the sun, the north from the absence in our hemisconfound firm or stayed winds with attendant phere. The east wind in order to the motion of
winds: the attendants being always more fre- the air, the west wind from the sea, the east wind
quent; but the stayed ones for the most part from the continent, most commonly in Europe
blowing more seldom. But that is common to and the western parts of Asia. These are the
them both, namely, to blow from that place from most radical and essential differences of winds;
which they receive their nourishment. from which truly and really depend most of the
13. Sea winds are commonly more vehement qualities and powers of the winds.
than land winds: yet when they cease, the sea is 6. The south wind is not so anniversary or
calmer from the shores than near unto them; inso- yearly, nor so stayed as the northern wind is, but
much that mariners, to avoid calms, will some- more wandering and free; and when it is stayed,
times coast along the shore, rather than launch it is so soft and mild that it can scarcely be perinto the deep. ceived.
14. Winds which are called tropei, that is to 7. The south wind is lower, and more lateral,
say, retorted, namely, such as, when they have and blowing of one side; the northern wind is
blown a little way, suddenly turn again, such higher and blows from above; we do not mean
winds I say blow from the sea towards the shore: the polar elevation and depression of which we
but retorted winds and whirlwinds are most com- have spoken formerly; but because the north
monly in gulfs of seas. wind for the most part hath its beginnings higher,
15. Some small gales blow for the most part and the south wind for the most part nearer to us.
about all great waters, and they are most felt in a 8. The south wind to us is rain, (as we said
morning; but more about rivers than at sea, be- before,) but in Africa it causes clear weather, but
cause of the difference which is between a land bringing great heat along with it, and not cold, as
gale and a water gale. some have affirmed. In Africa it is pretty health1G. In places which are near the sea, trees bow ful, but to us, if the south wind last long with
and bend, as shunning the sea air: but that comes fair weather and without rain, it is very pestilent.
not through any averseness to them; but sea 9. The south winds and west winds do not
winds, by reason of their humidity and thickness, engender vapours, but they blow from those
are as it were more heavy and ponderous. coasts where there is great store of them, by
reason of the increase of the sun's heat, which
Thie Qualities and Powers of Winds. draws forth the vapours, and therefore they are
To the seventh, twenty-eighth, twenty-ninth, thirtieth, and rainy. But if they blow from dry places, which
thirty-first articles. Connexion.
have no vapours in them, they are fair. But,
Concerning the qualities and powers of winds, notwithstanding, sometimes they are pure and
men have made careless and various observations: sometimes turbulent.
we will cull out the most certain, and the rest, as 10. The south and west winds here with us,
too light, we will leave to the winds themselves. seem to be confederate, and are warm and moist,