Redfield and Reid on Storms. 34d 



pleasure he had derived from their perusal. It was not only at 

 sea that the practical value of this splendid discovery respecting 

 hurricanes would develope itself in enabling the sailor to escape 

 its violence, instead of running ignorantly into the very jaws of 

 destruction, by attempting to run away ; but even on land it 

 would suggest invaluable hints for the securing of life and pro- 

 perty. One or two circumstances connected with Colonel Reid's 

 charts particularly impressed him. The first was the curious 

 parabolic shape of the curves denoting the progress of these 

 storms, so well calculated to give unfailing directions as to the 

 nature and course of a storm when accidentally encountered at 

 sea, as the sailor had only to consider the parts of these curves 

 in which he was placed, and the veering of the wind, and he had 

 almost placed before him a chart of the hurricane. He next 

 threw out the suggestion for Colonel Reid's consideration, whe- 

 ther the Gulf Stream would not perhaps give a clue to the 

 direction of these curves, as so large a body of comparatively 

 warm water must most materially tend to heat the air above it, 

 and thus occasion disturbances of atmospheric equilibrium. 

 Colonel Reid had stated that he had no theory : in this, no 

 doubt, he was judicious as an observer ; but, as in the present 

 assembly, a theory, if it served no better purpose, helped 

 memory, suggested views, and was even useful by affording 

 matter for controversy, which might produce brilliant results 

 by the very collision of intellect. In the second place, he re- 

 marked, that in the southern hemisphere the oscillations of the 

 barometer, which were in an opposite direction to those of the 

 northern, afforded a strong confirmation of the correctness of 

 Colonel Reid''s views. These revolving hurricanes reminded 

 him, that on discharging a great gun unshotted, the mouth ot 

 which had been previously greased, a beautiful ring of smoke 

 is formed, which passes to a considerable distance with much 

 permanence, but enlarging constantly in diameter : upon attend- 

 ing closely to this, every part of the ring will be found to be in 

 rapid revolving motion, thus exhibiting to the eye a hurricane 

 in miniature, performing its evolutions. That water-spoutS 

 should deviate from the law of storms was to be expected. He 

 supposed them to arise more from some local cause of distur* 



VOL. XXV. NO. L. OCTOBER 1838. A a 



