n 



amid the dangerous rocks collected together in that part of the 

 channel. He was warned and remonstrated with by men who 

 Icnew from experience the force of sea-waves in stormy weather, 

 but he took no heed. He declared, indeed, " that he was so well 

 assured of the strength of the building, that he would lilte to be 

 in it during the greatest storm that ever blew under the face of 

 Heaven." His Arish was gratified. Wliilst engaged in some 

 repairs that were being made under his inspection, the terrible 

 hurricane during the night of November 26th, 1703, came on and 

 swept away the entire building. He and his workmen, five in 

 number, perished, and in the morning not a vestige of the light- 

 house was to be seen " except some iron stancheons and a chain." 



De Foe, who mentions the destruction of this lighthouse, 

 thought it " very doubtful whether it Avould be ever attempted 

 again." He little contemplated the erection of such a structure 

 as was destmed one day to take its place — not immediately, for 

 there was a lighthouse after that of Winstanley's, which was des- 

 troyed by fire — but a lighthouse which having been commenced 

 in 1756, and rapidly completed, has stood firm to the present day, 

 a period of more than 120 years, a lasting monument of the 

 engineering skill of the celebrated Smeaton. 



It is now time to turn from the historical to the scientific con- 

 sideration of storms, to inquire into their movements and character, 

 as also to inquire how ftir prediction of their approach is jiossible, 

 or likely to be so in times to come. On the present occasion 

 however we can only deal with this part of the subject in a very 

 general way. 



" Storms are violent commotions of the atmosphere, occurring 

 in all climates, and diflfering from other atmospheric disturbances 

 in their destructive power and the extent over wliich they spread." 

 They — and indeed all winds whatever, from the lightest breeze 

 to the fiercest hurricane — are occasioned primarily by the sun's 

 unequal influence on difterent parts of the earth's sm-face, in con- 

 nection mth the earth's daily rotation on its axis. Heated por- 



