satisfactory, to prove a connection between the Winds and the Tides, it is only necessary for persons so dissatisfied, to consider that the power of the Sun and that of the Moon, let it come in what shape soever, could not affect the Tides without passing through the space occupied by the Wind, whereby it must agitate the Wind more than the waters proportionably to its greatest elasticity. That the Tides are affected by the Sun and Moon is a generally accepted opinion; the changes of the times of the Tides coincident with that of the Moon, are too apparent to suppose their connection can be reasonably disputed, and the additional swell of the Tides being regularly when the Sun and Moon are in conjunction or opposition, clearly point out an influence of the Sun on these Tides; under these considerations it must be granted that there must exist an intimate connection between the Tides and the Winds, they being governed by the same powers, and that these powers could not have any effect on the Tides without first agitating the Wind, much more than the effect can be on the Tides.

It now remains to be ascertained the exact distance from the Moon's meridian where the power commences on the Wind, which can be known by observation; it is also a matter of great importance to find out the different velocity of the Winds, with which they pass round the Earth according to local circumstances, by which means this study may be brought to a regular science.

PART V.

THE SIROCCO, HARMATTAN, AND SAMIEL.

BESIDES the usual disorders which afflict the

inhabitants of the Earth in common, there are some poisonous, which are peculiar to different parts of the old world, that are direful where these pestilential diseases prevail, and alarming even to those who live at a distance from them, under the dread of these contagious evils being brought to them, thus making that general, which in itself would be but partial.

It therefore becomes interesting to every one, although distantly situated from the source of these calamities, that the origin be known whence they are caused, whereby it may be possible to avert 'the evil.

To enumerate the disorders here alluded to, I shall give them in the words as they are described in Gregory's Lectures, vol. 1, p. 85, 86, 87 :—“The "Harmattan is a Wind which prevails occasionally

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during the months of December, January, and "February, in the interior parts of Africa, and "always blows towards the Atlantic ocean. There are generally three or four returns of it every season; it blows with a moderate force, not quite so strong, indeed, as the sea breeze. A fog or haze always accompanies the Harmattan, so that the "Sun is concealed the greater part of the day, and "the largest buildings cannot be seen at a quarter of "a mile distance. The particles which constitute "this fog are deposited on the leaves of trees, and "on the skins of the negroes, making them appear "white. But the most extraordinary property of "this Wind is its extreme dryness. No dew falls "during its continuance (on an average about a

week,) and the grass is parched up like bay. "Household furniture is cracked and destroyed, the "pannels of wainscot split, the joints of a well laid "floor of seasoned wood will be opened so as to "admit the breadth of a finger between them, " and the covers of books, though shut up in a close "chest, are bent as if they had been exposed to the "fire; nor does the human body escape: the eyes, "nostrils, lips, and palate are parched up, and made very uneasy.

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"Though the air is cool, there is a prickling heat "all over the skin; and if the Harmattan continues "four or five days, the scarf skin peels off. This "Wind though fatal to vegetable life, is highly "conducive to the health of the human body.

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It

stops all epidemics, indeed no infection can be communicated during its continuance, even by "innoculation. It relieves patients labouring under "fevers, and is remarkable for the cure of ulcers "and cutaneous diseases.

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"The Sirocco is as deleterious as the Harmattan "is salubrious. It is common in Italy and the "the South of France: in the former it is called the “Sirocco, from a common opinion that it blows "from Syria; in the latter it is called the Levant "Wind; the medium heat of the weather while it "blows, is one hundred and twelve degrees. It is "fatal to vegetables, and often destructive to the "human species. It depresses the spirits in an "unusual degree; it suspends the power of digestion,

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so that those who eat a heavy supper, while it "continues, are often found dead in their beds in "the morning. The sick at that afflicting period, commonly sink under the pressure of their diseases; and it is customary in the morning, when "this Wind has blown a whole night, to enquire is who is dead.

"The Samiel, or mortifying Wind of the deserts near Bagdat, is also dreadful in its effects. At its

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"approach the camels instinctively bury their noses "in the sand, and travellers throw themselves as "close as possible to the ground till it has passed "by, which is commonly in a few minutes. As * soon as those who have life dare to rise up, they examine how it fares with their companions, by "plucking their arms and legs; for if they are struck by the Wind, they will be so mortified, that "their limbs will come asunder. The fatal effects "of this Wind must depend upon a quantity of putrid vapour with which it is charged, probably from blowing over stagnant lakes, or marshes "loaden with putrid matter."

I am not sufficiently acquainted how far in these different divisions of the world they extend, but this is certain, that they all have their origin from the same source; and that the nearer to it the more immediate and destructive are its effects. This I am confident of being able to demonstrate and in the part of this work where scriptural proofs only are treated on, I shall produce some to shew that all the afore-named disorders are occasioned by the remains, and in consequence of the punishment which God inflicted on the inhabitants of Sodom, Gomorrah, &c. it being omitted in this place for the reasons given in the introduction,

The Lake Asphaltites, whence it is presumed that these disorders arise, is seldom, if ever, visited from the month of June until after September, on account of the obnoxious vapours or pestilential Winds which frequently arise in the deserts and all around in that neighbourhood about this time of the year. It has been asserted by some, that birds cannot live to fly over the Dead Sea; this is denied by others, who say that swallows have been seen to skim on the surface; this may be very true, and yet there are times, as will be shewn, when no animal can exist there. The swallow is known to be a bird of passage, and consequently at the time when this lake vomits

forth its frightful venom, which is when the Sun has by his presence evaporated the waters supplied by the Jordan, whereby the bituminous matter, &c. are laid bare, the swallows then move to higher latitudes; it is at such times that the pestilence visits all those unfortunate places that are unluckily situated within the reach of this curse. Consult the map (plate 6.)

The peculiarities of this noted lake and the condition of the country in its immediate vicinity, are well described by Maundrell, Pococke, and Mons. De Chateaubriand: their observations are therefore given here in succession,

A Journey from Aleppo to Jerusalem, at Easter, in the year 1697, by Henry Maundrell, Tuesday, March 30th: p. 80." The next morning we set

out early for Jordan, where we arrived in two "hours; we found the plain very barren as we "passed along it, producing nothing but a kind of samphire and other such marine plants.

"I observed in many places of the road where 'puddles of water had stood, a whiteness upon the "ground, which upon trial, I found to be a crust of "salt caused by the water to rise out of the earth, "in the same manner as it does every year in the valley of salt, near Aleppo, after the winter's "inundation; these saline efflorescencies 1 found "at some leagues distance from the Dead Sea, which demonstrates that the whole valley must "be all over plentifully impregnated with that "mineral."

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P. 83.-" Coming within about half an hour of "the sea, we found the ground uneven and varied "into hillocks, much resembling those places in "England where there have been anciently lime"kilns; whether these might be the pits at which "the Kings of Sodom and Gomorrah were over"thrown by the four Kings, (Gen. 14, 10,) I will "not determine.