prevalent Disorders, Src> with Volcanic Emanations. 21 



hurricanes of the West Indies, Mr. Scoresby says, {t Swells 

 in the polar seas are often the harbingers of storms." * (vol. i. 

 p. 223.) " It is a very usual circumstance, in traversing the 

 ocean, to meet with various swells, the evident results of 

 powerful winds, indicating the prevalence of storms in the 

 immediate neighbourhood, without ever being reached by the 

 storms by which such swells are produced." He experienced, 

 in lat. 68°, in July, 1813, heavy swells from the e.n.e. and 

 w.s. w., distinctly visible at the same time, while the wind 

 was from the south. In April, 1815, he had swells both on 

 the north and south, and before they had disappeared from 

 the east, indicating storms in those directions; and, in July, 

 1816 f, "while crossing the North Sea, swells from the n.e., 

 s.w., and e. occurred together; and, in April, 1817, heavy 

 distinct swells from the w., N.w., and s.s.E., prevailed at the 

 same time." (p. 222-3.) 



We thus perceive that the circular form, and other peculi- 

 arities, of the true hurricane have been witnessed in the east 

 and the north ; and, perhaps, the above examples may explain 

 how gales in England have occurred from different points of 

 the compass, according to the different places of observation. 

 The dreadful hurricane of Oct. 23. 1834, preceded by violent 

 gales from the 16th of that month, commenced in Holland 

 and on the Baltic from the s.w., but gradually veered to the 

 w. and n.w. ; from which latter quarter it burst with fury on 

 the British Islands, doing immense damage along their shores 

 and those of the Continent. This gale was attended with 

 many electrical phenomena. Lightning was seen at its com- 

 mencement, in the evening, near Winchester, in a perfectly 

 cloudless sky J, by Mr. Beaumont of that place ; and, in Scot- 

 land, the aurora was most brilliant at the same time : cold 



* An unusually high tide in Poole harbour is, on the testimony of old 

 observers, considered indicative of a coming gale, at the interval, perhaps, 

 of some days. I have myself noticed this. On Sept. 13. and 14. 1834, there 

 was a tremendous swell from the s.w., in lat. 42° 31' n., 13° 40' w. long., as a 

 friend writes from Madeira, just six days before the hurricane of Dominica. 



f During July, 1816, occurred inundations in Holland, Saxony, Swit- 

 zerland, Hungary ; and thunder storms in Temeswar ; a fall of aerolites at 

 Bonn ; waterspouts, thunder storms, &c, in England ; while, in the north- 

 eastern parts of Europe, there was a drought of long continuance. Prayers 

 for rain were offered up in Riga, Petersburgh, &c. 



% On silent lightning, see Dr. Hancock, in Phil. Mag. y 3d Series, iv. 

 340. A friend tells me, that, in the middle of November, 1830, there was 

 lightning all night for a week, 600 miles eastward of the Caribbee islands ; 

 and that, during the day, the same small clouds were seen all round the 

 horizon, though the lightning was not then seen : there was no thunder 

 during the whole time. 



c 3 



