Page:Voyage in search of La Perouse, volume 1 (Stockdale).djvu/125

] into Fale Bay, it can only happen in conequence of their having urmounted this obtacle which oppoes them at the outhern extremity of Africa. The dilatation of the lower column of air is o much impeded by the compreion which it uffers, in its acent towards the ummit of this ridge, from the weight of the uperincumbent column, that, whenever it has paed thee heights, the reaction of its elaticity is proportionate to the diminution of the reitance before oppoed to its expanion. Its impetuoity is then uch as frequently to looen hips lying in the road from their anchors, and et them adrift.

The violence of thee winds is the greatet where they decend along the declivity of thee mountains: in the interior of the country ituated at a mall ditance to the eatward, on the contrary, they are very moderate; as I have had occaion to remark in everal excurions which I made from the town.

The clouds, with which the ummit of the ridge is at uch times covered, are naturally produced from the enormous mas of air, which, after becoming urcharged with moiture during its paage over a vat extent of ocean, when it acends into the higher regions of the atmophere, depoits, in the form of clouds, the uperabundant water which, on account of the change of temperature,