Page:Physical Geography of the Sea and its Meteorology.djvu/171

Rh the land and sea breezes in the Java Sea and upon the coasts of the northern range of islands, Banca, Borneo, Celebes, etc., during the east monsoon, must in part be ascribed to the hindrances which the south-east trade-wind meets in the islands which lie directly in its way—in part to the inclination towards the east monsoon which the trade-wind undergoes after it has come within the archipelago—and, finally, to its abatement as it approaches the equator. The causes which produce the land breezes thus appear collectively not sufficiently powerful to be able to turn back a strong trade-wind in the ocean."

322. Red fogs in the Mediterranean.—Seamen tell us of "red fogs" which they sometimes encounter, especially in the vicinity of the Cape de Verd Islands. In other parts of the sea, also, they meet showers of dust. What these showers precipitate in the Mediterranean is called "sirocco dust," and in other parts "African dust," because the winds which accompany them are supposed to come from the Sirocco desert, or some other parched land of the continent of Africa. It is of a brick-red or cinnamon colour, and it sometimes comes down in such quantities as to obscure the sun, darken the horizon, and cover the sails and rigging with a thick coating of dust, though the vessel may be hundreds of miles from the land.

323. Red fogs near the equator.—Dr. Clymer, Fleet-surgeon of the African squadron, reports a red fog which was encountered in February, 1856. by the U. S. ship Jamestown. "We were," says he, "immersed in the dust-fog six days, entering it abruptly on the night of the 9th of February, in lat. 7° 30' N., and long. 15° W., and emerging from it (and at the same time from the zone of the equatorial calms into the north-east trades) on the 10th instant, in lat. 9° N., and long. 19° W. With these winds, we beat to Porto Praya (in lat. 14° 54' N. and long. 23° 30' W.), crossing a south-west current of nearly a mile an hour, arriving at Porto Praya on the 22nd of February. The red dust settled thickly on the sails, rigging, spars, and decks, from which it was easily collected. It was an impalpable powder, of a brick-dust or cinnamon colour. The atmosphere was so dusky that we could not have seen a ship at mid-day beyond a quarter of a mile."

324. Putting tallies on the wind.—Now the patient reader, who