in under it, but it
usurps the place of all other surface winds; and, when the belt is absent,
that portion of the eastern Pacific is most remarkably calm, or is covered
by the N. E. trades. Secondly, the _trade-winds every where pursue their
appointed course without "tendency to deflection" by the meeting, or
"over-sliding," or "breaking in," or "encounter,"_ of other winds. The
great laws of circulation do not admit of any such _confusion_. And,
lastly, _no storm ever came over the eastern United States from that
quarter_. The unchangeable laws of atmospheric circulation forbid it.
Recent observations also have shown that the storms on the west coast of
Central America, and the eastern Pacific, pursue a N. W. course, precisely
as in the West Indies, and every where over the surface-trades of the
northern hemisphere. Indeed _Mr. Redfield himself has recently
investigated several of them, and admits their course to be
north-westerly_. (See American Journal of Science, new series, vol. xviii.
p. 181.)

But, suppose the co-existence of the winds and the course of the storms
admitted as claimed, let us seek for clearer views. What do these
gentlemen mean? Do they intend to have us believe the air has inherent
moving power, and that the "tendency" of which they speak is an attribute
of the winds, and that when they thus meet, and "come into each other,"
"encounter," or "over-slide," and become acquainted, they wheel into a
waltz, and move off northward, "integrally," with unceasing circular
movement, even until they arrive at the Arctic circle? Or is it a mere
mechanical effect of meeting, "coming into each other," or "over-sliding?"
If the latter, why a tendency to rotation from right to left? The
trade-winds, at least, are _continuous, unbroken sheets_, and not
disconnected portions which meet and blow past each other, and there is no
warrant for placing them _side and side_, and attributing to them any
such mechanical effect, and as little respecting the other winds. Outside
of the fanciful hypothesis, there are no facts to show such a tendency one
way rather than the other; and, in accordance with the known facts
regarding stratification of the currents of air, no such "tendency" can
exist.

But what _power_ impels the winds, which thus meet at these points? If
they be impelled, is it consistent with the action of this power that the
_winds_ it has _created_ and _controls_, should thus assume an _opposite
"tendency,"