westerlies, however, which are the prevailing winds in the
latitude of the United States and Europe, have not been of much
importance. On the Atlantic side they were for many centuries a
barrier to contact between the Old World and the New. On the
Pacific side they have been known to blow Japanese vessels to the
shores of America contrary to the will of the mariners. Perhaps
the same thing may have happened in earlier times. Asia may thus
have made some slight contribution to primitive America, but no
important elements of civilization can be traced to this source.

From latitude 30 degrees N. to 30 degrees S. the tradewinds
prevail. As they blow from the east, they make it easy for boats
to come from Africa to America. In comparatively recent times
they brought the slave ships from the Guinea coast to our
Southern States. The African, like the Indian, has passed through
a most unfavorable environment on his way from central Asia to
America. For ages he was doomed to live in a climate where high
temperature and humidity weed out the active type of human being.
Since activity like that of Europe means death in a tropical
climate, the route by way of Africa has been if anything worse
than by Bering Strait.

By far the most important occurrence which can be laid at the
door of the trade-winds is the bringing of the civilization of
Europe and the Mediterranean to the New World. Twice this may
have happened, but the first occurrence is doubtful and left only
a slight impress. For thousands of years the people around the
Mediterranean Sea have been bold sailors. Before 600 B.C. Pharaoh
Necho, so Herodotus says, had sent Phenician ships on a
three-year cruise entirely around Africa. The Phenicians also