WIND (a common Teut. word, cognate with Skt. vatas, Lat. ventus, cf. “weather,” to be of course distinguished from to “wind,” to coil or twist, O. Eng. windan, cf. “wander,” “wend,” &c.), a natural motion of the air, a current of air coming from any particular direction or with any degree of velocity. For the general account of winds, their causes, &c., see Meteorology. Winds may be classified according to the strength or velocity with which they blow, varying from a calm, a breeze to a gale, storm or hurricane; for the varying scale of velocity per hour of these see Beaufort Scale, and for the measurement Anemometer. Another classification divides them into “regular” or “constant” winds, such as the “trade winds” (q.v.), and “periodic” winds, such as the “monsoon” (q.v.). There are many special winds, such as the “Föhn,” “chinook,” “mistral,” “harmattan,” “sirocco,” which are treated under their individual names. For the group of musical instruments known by the generic name of Wind Instruments see that heading.
WINDAU (Russian Vindava, Lettish Wentepils), a seaport and sea-bathing resort of western Russia, in the government of Courland, at the mouth of the Windau, on the Baltic Sea, 110 m. by rail N.W. of Riga. Pop. (1897), 7132. It has a castle built in 1290. The harbour, 20 and 25 ft. deep, is free from ice all the year round. Timber, grain and other commodities are exported to the annual value of two to three millions sterling; the imports range between three-quarters and one million sterling.
WIND BRACES, in architecture, diagonal braces to tie the rafters of a roof together and prevent “racking.” In the better sort of medieval roofs they are arched, and run from the principal rafters to catch the purlins.
WINDEBANK, SIR FRANCIS (1582-1646), English secretary of state, was the only son of Sir Thomas Windebank of Hougham, Lines., who owed his advancement to the Cecil family. Francis entered St John's College, Oxford, in 1599, coming there under the influence of Laud. After a few years' continental travel (1605-1608), he was employed for many years in minor public offices, and became clerk of the council. In June 1632 he was appointed by Charles I. secretary of state in succession to Lord Dorchester, his senior colleague being Sir John Coke, and he was knighted. His appointment was mainly due to his Spanish and Roman Catholic sympathies. The first earl of Portland, Francis, Lord Cottington, and Windebank formed an inner group in the council, and with their aid the king carried on various secret negotiations, especially with Spain. In December 1634 Windebank was appointed to discuss with the papal agent Gregorio Panzani the possibility of a union between the Anglican and Roman Churches, and expressed the opinion that the Puritan opposition might be crippled by sending their leaders to the war in the Netherlands. Windebank's efforts as treasury commissioner in 1635 to shield some of those guilty of corruption led to a breach with Archbishop Laud, and the next year he was for a time disgraced for issuing an order for the conveyance of Spanish money to pay the Spanish troops in the Netherlands. In July 1638 he urged upon the king instant war with the Scots, and in 1640, when tumults were breaking out in England, he sent an appeal from the queen to the pope for money and men. He was elected in March 1640 member of the Short Parliament for Oxford University, and he entered the Long Parliament in October as member for Corfe. In December the House learnt that he had signed letters of grace to recusant priests and Jesuits, and summoned him to answer the charge, but with the king's connivance he fled to France. From Calais he wrote to the first Lord Hatton, defending his integrity, and affirming his belief that the church of England was the purest and nearest the primitive Church. He remained in Paris until his death on the 1st of September 1646, shortly after he had been received into the Roman communion.
WINDERMERE, the largest lake in England, in the south-eastern part of the Lake District (q.v.). It is in the county of Westmorland, the boundary with Lancashire running from the head southward along the western shore, round the foot and northward along about one-third of the eastern shore. It forms a narrow trough with a slightly curved axis of 10½ m. The width at right angles to the axis never reaches 1 m. The area is 5.69 sq. m. The shores are generally steep, beautifully wooded and fretted with numerous little sheltered bays. The hills immediately surrounding the lake rarely reach 1000 ft., but the distant views of the mountains to the north and west contrast finely with the sylvan beauty of the lake itself. The middle of the lake, immediately opposite Bowness, is especially beautiful, for here a group of islands (Belle Isle, Thompson's Holme, the Lilies and others) divide the lake into two basins, the water about them seldom exceeding 50 ft. in depth. On the other hand, the greatest depth sounded in the northern basin is 219 ft., and in the southern 134. The lake receives the Rothay and Brathay streams at the head; Trout Beck also flows into the north basin, and Cunsey Beck from Esthwaite into the south. The lake is drained by the Leven. Steamers belonging to the Furness Railway Company ply regularly on Windermere, the chief stations being Lakeside, the terminus of a branch railway, beautifully situated at the foot, Ferry on the west shore below the islands, Bowness on the east and Waterhead, at the head, for Ambleside. The lake contains perch, pike, trout and char; there are several large hotels at Bowness and elsewhere on its shores.
The town of Windermere, above the eastern shore adjacent to Bowness (q.v.), is in the Appleby parliamentary division of Westmorland, and is the terminus of a branch of the London and North-Western railway from Oxenholme junction. Numerous mansions and villas have grown up in the vicinity. Here, from Orrest Head, in the grounds of Elleray, where lived Professor Wilson (Christopher North), superb views over the whole lake and its surroundings are obtained. In 1905 Bowness and Windermere were united as a single urban district.
WINDHAM, WILLIAM (1750–1810), English politician, came from an ancient family long resident at Felbrigg, near Cromer in Norfolk. His father. Colonel William Windham (1717–1761), was an adventurous soldier with a taste for languages, both ancient and modern; his son was born in Golden Square, London, on the 3rd of May 1750. He went to Eton, which he quitted in 1766 for the university of Glasgow, where he acquired the taste for mathematics which always distinguished him. In 1767 he matriculated as gentleman commoner at University College, Oxford, where he remained until 1771. He never took the degree of B.A., but qualified as M.A. on the 7th of October 1782, and received the degree of D.C.L. on the 3rd of July 1793. He made a tour in Norway in 1773 and visited Switzerland and Italy between 1778 and 1780. His maiden speech on the political platform was delivered at Norwich on the 28th of January 1778, when he vehemently opposed the prosecution of the American war. His entrance into public life took place in April 1783, when he went to Ireland as chief secretary to Lord Northington, the lord-lieutenant in the coalition ministry of Fox and Lord North. Windham was his own keenest critic, his distrust in his own powers and his disappointment at his own achievements being conspicuous on every page of his Diary. Sickness compelled his return to England early in July 1783, and he resigned his position in August; but change of scene and constant exercise restored him to health before the end of that year. In April 1784 he was returned to parliament as member for Norwich by a majority of 64 votes, thus scoring one of the few triumphs attained by the adherents of the coalition cabinet. This seat he retained until 1802, when he was beaten on account of his hostility to the peace of that year.
Though he strenuously opposed all proposals for parliamentary reform, to which most of the Whigs were deeply committed, Windham remained in alliance with that party until after the outbreak of the French Revolution, when he and several of his chief allies joined Pitt. The place of secretary-at-war was conferred upon him in July 1794, and he was at the same time created a privy councillor and admitted to a seat in the cabinet. Windham discharged the duties of his office with unflagging zeal, his efforts being particularly directed towards ameliorating the condition of the inferior grades of the army. In the autumn of
