ATMOSPHEROLOGY. — WINDS. 407 



of wind, accompanied with snowy weather. As the 

 wind began to abate, a ship appeared in sight, un- 

 der all sails, and presently came up with the Hen- 

 rietta. The master hailed, and inquired what had 

 happened that my Father's ship was under close- 

 reefed topsail in such moderate weather. On being 

 told that a storm had just subsided, he declared that 

 he knew nothing of it : he observed, indeed, a swell, 

 and noticed a black cloud a-head of his ship, that 

 seemed to advance before him, until he was over- 

 shadowed with it, a little while before he overtook 

 the Henrietta ; but he had had fine weather and 

 light winds the whole day. 



The last example of local storms that I shall give, 

 occurred in the year 1817. At noon of the 4th of 

 May, the Esk, under my command, was in latitude 

 78* 55', near the ice, with a brisk breeze of wind 

 from the E. S. E. In the evening we stood to the 

 southward, experienced a considerable increase of 

 wind, and at midnight tacked. We then steered under 

 a brisk sail to the N. E., as high as latitude 80*10', 

 finding less wind and clearer sky as we w ent to the 

 northward ; while dense clouds appeared in the south- 

 ern quarter, and a heavy swell from the same direc- 

 tion pursued us. The wind was light in the evening 

 of the 5th ; tacked at the edge of the northern ice, 

 and returned to the south-westward. During the 

 whole of the next day, we continued our course, 

 under all sails, having a fresh breeze of wind at 



