greater before it, with fuch a Noife, that one would think the whole Mountain were tumbling) again another higher appeared, and then fome leffer, the latter whereof still exceeded the former in Height. Through all these Caverns I was obliged to pafs, with the utmoft Danger of my Life till I gained the Summit. Whenever I look'd down from the steep Rocks into the Vales below, "that were thick fet with large Trees, the Appearance was like that of a dark Night; or else of ⚫ the blue and high Sky, which we fometimes fee in fair Weather. And it appeared to me, that if I had been to fall, I fhould have tumbled, < not to the Earth but into the Heavens. For the visible Objects, on account of the great Declivity, appeared diminished and confused. But when I afcended to a higher Mountain, I came into thick Clouds, and having got thro' them, I did after fome Hours fit down, when I was not far from the Top, and plainly observed the white Clouds, I was among, moving below; and over ⚫ them I had a clear profpect fome Miles beyond the • Bounds of the Country of Sepufiam, in which the • Mountains were. I alfo faw other Clouds higher, others lower, and fome equally distant from the Earth; from all which I gathered three things, 1. That I had paffed the beginning of the middle Region of the Air. 2. That the Distance of the • Clouds from the Earth is different in different • Places, acccording to the Vapours raised. 3. That the Distance of the lowest Clouds from the Earth, is far from being feventy two German Miles, as fome would have it; and is only half a German Mile. When I came to the Top of the Mountain the Air was fo thin and calm that I could not perceive the Motion of a Hair, tho' there was a vehement Wind when I was on the Mountains below. From whence I find that

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SECT. VI. the highest Top of Mount Carpathus rises a German • Mile from it's loweft Root up to the highest Region of the Air, to which the Winds never reach. I fired a Pistol on the Top, which at • first made no greater Noise than if I had broke a Stick or Staff; but, after a little time, there was a murmuring for a long while, which filled the Vallies and Woods below. And coming down thro' the ancient Snows to the Vallies, I fired < again, which made a dreadful Sound, as if great Guns had been fired, and I was afraid the ⚫ whole Mountain fhould come down on me. The • Sound lafted for half a Quarter of an Hour, 'till it had reached the moft fecret Caverns, where the Sound being enlarged reflected back every Way; which Caverns not being above, there was at firft little rebounding, but when the Sound reached thofe below, it rebounded violently. On these high Mountains it hails or fnows for the most Part, even in the middle of • Summer; viz. as oft as it rains in the neighbouring Vallies below: which I have found. The Snows of different Years may be known from their Colour and firm Surface.

СНАР.

CHA P. XX.

Of the Winds in general, and of the Points of the Compass.

TH

HE Wind is a Motion of the Air; and therefore the Confideration of it belongs to the Abfolute Part of Geography; efpecially feeing the Knowledge of it belongs to Hydrography, and most of all to Navigation, which requires fome Knowledge of Geography: and tho' I willingly allow 'tis more Phyfical, yet because it contains feveral things, that relate to Geography we shall fpeak briefly to it.

PROPOSITION I.

The Wind is a Commotion of the Air which may be felt, or which hath fome Force.

THUS it may be defined by the Confent of all Nations nor do I care to difpute with Critics about it. If the Motion be gentle, 'tis called a Gale or Breeze; and if it be not felt, 'tis not called a Wind; for fuch fmall Motions are conftantly in the Air, tho' there is no Wind, as appears from the Sun-Beams let into a dark Chamber, thro' a small Hole, where you fee the Atoms carried with the Air: and therefore we put in the Word felt in the Definition, because the Motion of the Atoms is only feen.

PRO

PROPOSITION II.

The Winds for the most part tend from one Point to the oppofite, and drive Bodies before them.

THIS appears from the Force of Wind on our Bodies, and especially from the Vanes set on the Top-mafts of Ships, which turn to the Point contrary to that the Wind comes from. Yet this is not always direct and conftant, but with fome Agitation to the adjacent Points. Some think there fhould be added in the Definition, a Commotion towards one Point, or to the fame Part; but we think it may be better left out, feeing there are fome circular Winds; and, fpeaking accurately, no Wind exactly obferves the fame Point.

PROPOSITION III.

A Point of the Compass is an imaginary Plane, perpendicularly extended from any Point of the Earth to one of thofe that are on the Circumference of a Circle, having that Point for it's Center.

SUCH is the true and common Notion of a Point of the Horizon. Sometimes the Points on the Horizon, are the Things we call Points by way of Eminence."

THE explaining of the Points of the Compafs doth not belong to this Section of Geography, but to the third, of the Comparative Properties; but because the several Winds are called by them, or they by the other; therefore we here anticipate treating of them. And this is their Ufe, that when feveral Things have different Situations we determine them thereby.

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PROPOSITION IV.

may

be

The Points are infinite in number, for Planes drawn from all the Points on the Horizon; but only thirty two of them, bave got Names, which are com mon to the Winds that blow from them.

THE Points, and alfo the Winds, are two-fold as the Cardinal and Collateral; the Cardinal are North, South, Eaft, and Weft. The Collateral are thofe between two Cardinal ones, of which there are twenty eight, there being feven in every fourth Part of the Horizon; and of these, thofe that are exactly in the middle between the two are the chief ones, being 45 degr. diftant from the Cardinals, as N. E. S. E. S. W. N. W.

PROPOSITION V.

Thefe thirty two Points are equally distant from each other, viz. each from it's adjacent Point; whence there are 11 degr. of the Horizon, and 15 min. betwixt every two adjacent Points: And the Cardinal Points are 90 degr. from each other.

THERE being 360 degr. in all Circles, fo on the Horizon; and thirty two Points being on the Horizon, each Point must be 11 degr. 15 min.

THIS Divifion, with the feveral Names of every Point, was made by the Germans, as moft commodious; their Names are not eafily expreffed in other Languages: tho' Their Order and Names are in the following Table.

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