Page:Physical Geography of the Sea and its Meteorology.djvu/406

380 monsoon. The passing of the meridian by the moon appears to be the fixed point of time for the turning of the currents. It is probable that the heated water of the Archipelago is discharged to the north during the east monsoon, and to the south during the west monsoon.

708. Marking the seasons.—"As the sea makes the coming of the southern summer known to the inhabitants of the Java coast, the turning of the east monsoon into the west monsoon commences. After the sun has finished its yearly task in the northern hemisphere, and brings its powerful influence to operate in the southern hemisphere, a change is at once perceived in the constant fine weather of the east monsoon of the Java Sea. As soon as it is at its height upon the Java Sea (6° south), then the true turning of the monsoon begins, and is accomplished much more rapidly than the spring turning. The calms then are not so continuous. The combat in the upper atmosphere appears to be less violent; the south-east trade, which has blown as the east monsoon, does not seem to have sufficient strength to resist the aggressors, who, with wild storms from the north-west and west, make their superiority known. Upon and in the neighbourhood of the land thunder-storms occur, but at sea they are less frequent.

709. Conflicts in the air.—"The atmosphere, alternately clear and cloudy, moves more definitely over from the north-west, so that it appears as if no combat was there waged, and the south-east gives place without a contest. The land breezes become less frequent, and the phenomena by day and night become, in a certain sense, more accordant with each other. Storms of wind and rain beneath a clouded sky alternate with severe gales and steady winds. In the last of November the west monsoon is permanent.

710. Passing of the calm belts.—"Such are the shiftings. But what have they to do with the general system of the circulation of the atmosphere? Whenever we read attentively the beautiful meditations of the founder of the Meteorology of the Sea, and follow him in the development of his hypothesis, which lays open to view the wheels whereby the atmosphere performs its varied and comprehensive task with order and regularity, then it will not be necessary to furnish proof that these turnings are