132 Supposed Connection of Meteoric Phenomena, 



I did, conjecturing, from similar cases, that so tremendous a 

 hurricane was probably connected with other phenomena. 

 Capt. Polkinghorne mentioned, in reply, that, on Sept. 20., 

 the Isis was " visited by the most violent tornado he ever 

 witnessed. The only sail he had set was blown to pieces. 

 It was at the close of the rains on the coast of Africa, when 

 squally unsettled weather is usual and expected. We entered 

 the river Gambia on the 23d, and found the rains partially 

 over, and generally followed by tornados and hot suffocating 

 weather, the thermometer varying from 86° to 96° ; the air 

 damp and filled with malaria.'' On reference to the log, 

 with a copy of which I have been also favoured, I find that 

 the position of the Isis was 12° 54' n., 18° 2' w., Cape St. 

 Mary bearing 66° e., eighty-seven miles. From one o'clock 

 a.m. to 5 h. 50 m. a.m., the weather was moderate and fine, 

 with light variable airs. At 6 h. 50 m., there was dark, 

 heavy, squally-looking weather to e.s.e. and e. At 7 h. the 

 ship was taken aback by heavy squalls with thunder, light- 

 ning, and rain in torrents; the fore-topmast stay-sail (the 

 only one set) was split and carried away. At 8 there were 

 light winds and rain, inclining to calm: at noon, light airs 

 and fine weather. The winds were as follow : — At 1 o'clock 

 a.m., n.n.e. ; from 1 till 7, n. and n.w.; at 8, e.n.e. ; from 9 

 to noon, n.w. to e.s.e., calm. 



The hurricane at Dominica was preceded by unsettled 

 weather for several days. The rain commenced at 6 p.m., 

 Sept. 20., with gusts of wind, shifting from n. to s., till 



I I p.m., when the rain ceased ; the wind, however, increased 

 till midnight, when it was a dead calm. A quarter of an 

 hour after, the wind raged in all directions ; and, before 

 1 a.m., Sept. 21., the island was desolated, and nearly all the 

 buildings and crops destroyed. This hurricane was the most 

 disastrous ever remembered ; and its fury was felt for more 

 than four hours. The swell attending it was tremendous : 

 at Charlestown, in Nevis, the sea broke over the beach into 

 the town for more than a quarter of a mile. At St. Kitt's 

 many vessels were driven ashore, and literally knocked to 

 pieces by the violence of the sea. At Porto Rico, the 

 swell was also extremely frightful, and the hurricane was felt 

 there slightly. The ship Lee, of Liverpool, which left 

 Puerto Cavello, in Colombia, on the 1 8th, steering due north 

 for the Mona passage, encountered the hurricane on the 22d ; 

 and her commander, Mr. Isaac Scott, gives me these par- 

 ticulars : — After leaving Puerto Cavello, the Lee had very 

 fine weather, with light winds from e. and e.n.e., without any 

 indication of the coming storm, till Sunday (the 21st), at 



