402 ACCOUNT OF THE ARCTIC REGIONS. 



The approach of sudden storms, it has been ob- 

 served, is sometimes announced by a noise in the 

 the air. My Father once removed his ship from a 

 most dangerous bight in the main ice, where she 

 would probably have been lost, had she remained a 

 few minutes longer, in consequence of his having 

 heard the rushing of a storm in the air, when at the 

 mast-head. Before the ship was out of danger, a 

 heavy gale commenced ; but the sails being set, and 

 the ship under command, she was extricated from 

 the perilous situation. From this circumstance, he 

 imagines, that sudden storms frequently commence 

 at some height in the atmosphere, and gradually 

 descend to the surface. 



A phenomenon of a description similar to that of 

 sudden storms, and almost equally common, is inter- 

 mitting gales. The nature of these winds will be 

 best explained, by mentioning two or three instan- 

 ces. 



April the 22d 1814, latitude 73° 29', we had in- 

 termitting gales, snow-showers and high sea. The 

 squalls continued from five minutes to half an hour 

 at a time ; and the intervals of calm weather were 

 a little longer. During the squalls, the ship could 

 only bear close-reefed topsails and courses ; but in 

 tlie intervals she might have carried royals. This 

 kind of weather prevailed from 8 a. m. until 3 P. M., 

 when, in a shower of snow, a sudden calm occurred 

 and continued for an hour. The gale then sudden- 



