during the years 1826 and 1827. 139 



Rant exhibition. The most violent winds have prevailed yes- 

 terday and to-day, lowering the barometer to 29.090, at which 

 it is now stationary, having fallen more than an inch since the 5th. 



October 16th. — This day has been extremely bad ; rain 

 throughout, and wind in the, morning. As yet no prospect of 

 good weather ; yet the state of the barometer has been 8J m., 

 29.1 50; 10 m., 29.214; 4a., 29.304; 8 a., 29.382; 10 a. 29.386, 

 a continued and rapid rise. This seemed surprising during such 

 weather ; but on looking out in the afternoon I found that the 

 high S. W. wind of the morning, which prevailed yesterday, 

 and caused the decline of the barometer, was gone ; that the 

 aerial currents were in a variable state ; and that from some 

 copious smoke at a distance, the upper strata were moving from 

 the east. A considerable reduction of the high temperature which 

 the southern gales had brought took place, — a coolness which 

 must probably be the cause of the decided increase of pressure 

 which our east winds generally occasion. 



December 7th. — This afternoon it blew a perfect hurricane, 

 of such violence as I have seldom witnessed. Its effect on the 

 barometer was very remarkable ; it had descended seven-tenths 

 of an inch from 10 m. to 8 a., and at the latter hour the con- 

 vex surface of the mercury heaved with great violence to the 

 amount of at least .030 inch. On the 17th a similar pheno- 

 menon was observable with very high winds, and T observed 

 that the sudden depressions took place just before the loudest 

 gusts were heard. From the greater adhesion of the mercury 

 to the glass, it was more distinct in a common than a boiled 

 tube, as the spherical convexity is more protuberant in the 

 former than the latter. 



December 27, 1827. — This day the weather changed in a 

 very remarkable manner. It has for many weeks been mild 

 and windy, with frequent and often excessive rain. The ba- 

 rometer has risen almost an inch within three days, and this 

 afternoon I observed the wind in the N. E. and calm, (W. and 

 S. W. high winds had before prevailed) while the uniformly 

 cloudy sky broke into a low clear arch in that direction in a 

 very beautiful manner. The arch gradually but very slowly 

 heightened, throwing the clouds to the S. E. in an extremely 

 singular manner, and the night turned out perfectly clear and 

 serene. A 



