Redfield and Reid on Storms. 347 



from it. By watching the mode of veering of the wind, the 

 portion of a storm into which a ship is falling may be ascer- 

 tained : if the ship be then so manoeuvred as that the wind shall 

 veer aft instead of ahead, and the vessel is made to come up, 

 instead of being allowed to break off, she will run out of the 

 storm altogether ; but, if the contrary course be taken, either 

 through chance or ignorance, she goes right into the whirl, and 

 runs a great risk of being suddenly taken aback, but most as- 

 suredly will meet the opposite wind in passing out through the 

 whirl. To accomplish her object, he shewed, by a diagram, 

 that it was necessary that the ship should be laid on opposite 

 tacks, on opposite sides of a storm, as may be understood by 

 drawing a number of concentric circles to represent the whirl 

 of the hurricane, and then different lines across these, to repre- 

 sent the course of ships entering into, or going through the 

 storm : but, to attempt the full explanation of even this, would 

 extend much beyond our limits. 



Colonel Reid illustrated his views by reference to various 

 circumstances connected with the great hurricane of 1780, and 

 the position of the several ships of Sir George Rodney's 

 squadron, as also those of the East India convoys in the hurri- 

 canes of 1808 and 1809- He pointed out the effects of these 

 storms on the barometer and sympiesometer, and the practical 

 lessons to be derived from their indications. He highly eulo- 

 gized the anemometers of Professor Whewell and Mr Follett 

 Ossler, and particularly dwelt upon the importance of having 

 the latter instrument placed at various stations in the usual 

 tracks of these great hurricanes, as a means of deciding several 

 important questions connected with them. He likewise pointed 



