OCEAN METEOROLOGY. 



35 



in 1848. We must remember that all through his severest struggles, 

 he had a public official duty, and spent six hours every day in the air 

 of Leadenhall Street ; and although he always affected to make light 

 of this, or even to treat the office-work as a refreshing change from 

 study, yet when his constitution was once broken, it would tell upon 

 him more than his peculiar theories of health and work would let him 

 confess. 



In another article, I propose to review the writings subsequent to 

 the date now reached. 



OCEAN METEOROLOGY. 



Bt Lieutenant T. A. LYOXS, U. S. N. 



WERE the captain of a ship to contemplate making a passage in 

 a sea he had never before traversed, he would find it desirable 

 to be supplied with charts of two different kinds : one kind showing 

 the rocks, shoals, and other dangers scattered throughout its expanse, 

 the contour of its islands and bounding shores, and the soundings of 

 its shallow waters ; the other kind giving full and reliable information 

 regarding its winds and weather, storms and currents, barometric and 

 thermometric fluctuations. The first is essential to safe navigation ; 

 the second an invaluable auxiliary to a speedy jjassage. It is of this 

 second kind — meteorological charts — that this article is to treat. 



And, first, partly to introduce the subject, partly to illustrate it, I 

 will very briefly touch upon a similar work for the land — a work which 

 has now become familiar to all — I mean the daily synopsis and forecast 

 of the weather published by the United States and several European 

 Governments for the benefit of their people. 



The value of an extensive organization for observing atmospheric 

 phenomena was early appreciated in Europe, and as long ago as the 

 year 1780 the Society of the Palatinate was established under the au- 

 spices of the Elector Charles Theodore, who entered with spirit and 

 ability into its pursuits, and furnished it w^ith the means of defraying 

 the expense of instruments of the best construction, which were gra- 

 tuitously distributed to all parts of Europe, and even to America. 

 Some idea may be formed of the comprehensive scale of the journal 

 of this society, when it is known that it contains observations three 

 times in the day of the barometer, thermometer in the shade and in 

 the sun, hygrometei', magnetic needle, direction and force of the wind, 

 quantity of rain and of evaporation, the height of any neighboring 

 water, the changes of the moon, the appearance of the sky, and the 

 occurrence of meteors and of the aurora borealis. To these must be 

 added, in some places, observations upon the electrical state of the 



