Travels in Turkey, Asia Minor, Syria, and across the desert into Egypt ...

Ifg TRAVELS IN ASIATIC TURKEY,
Fahrenheit. It is unnecessary to remark, that during this interval
the heat was extremely oppressive to such of our party as had not
been inured to the more sultry climes. The sky was, at the above
season, beautifully clear, without a cloud to obscure the wide ex-
panse ; and the atmosphere pure and benign. The greatest variation
of temperature occurred in the months of October and No-
vember, when the rains came on suddenly with some degree of vi-
olence. This may properly be considered as the rainy season, since,
generally speaking, during the other parts of the year a drought
prevails. The very copious dew's which fall in the dry months,
when there is a total absence of rain, promote and forward the
vegetation.
During the summer months the prevailing winds are from the
north and north-west. In
entering on October, they
are more va-
riable, blowing strongly from the south, south-east, and east. It
is at this time that the sudden and heavy showers commence, and
that the sky, which was before so uniformly clear, is overspread
with dark and heavy clouds. At length, the month of November
drawing towards its close, the rains cease to fall, and the wea-
ther becomes pleasant and salubrious. The result of my observa-
tions at this season was, that before sun-rise the thermometer ran-
ged from 42 to 52 and 53, and that, consequently, the mornings
were refreshing and cool. At noon the variations of the thermo-
meter were from 66
no means oppressive.
to 76, with a degree
of heat which was by
On the coast of Syria the sea breeze prevails during the day
time, and, falling in the evening, gives place to the gentle land
breeze, which continues to blow until about nine the next morn-
ing.
In the month of December, 1800, the January following, and
a part of February, the weather was very tempestuous, with heavy
rains, vivid lightnings, and thunders, the explosion of which
was awful and tremendous. During this period the thermometer
was low; and, on one occasion, the storm was accompanied by
hail. The winds were usually from the south or south-west. A
haziness from the southward was the sure precursor of each of the
gales; and to this indication of foul weather was superadded a remarkably
large circle, or disk, round the moon. This boisterous
and
comparatively cold weather was highly favourable to the health
of the individuals belonging to the mission. It yielded, about the
5 0th of February, to a more warm and settled temperature of the