458 



The storm appeared to have rotated, and in the usual way, — viz. 

 in a direction contrary to that of the hands of a watch, — of which 

 proofs were given. 



The author then suggested, that the osciUations in question were 

 probably produced by this storm. The parts of the coast where they 

 were observed, coincided with the direction in which the storm moved. 

 The fact that the oscillations on the Cornish and Devonshire coasts 

 commenced before the storm arrived there, so far from being hostile 

 to, supported this view ; for if waves were created by the storm, as 

 it approached Great Britain, these waves would advance more rapidly 

 than the storm, which appeared to move northwards at the rate of 

 from 70 to 80 miles per hour, — whereas the similar waves produced 

 by the two Lisbon earthquakes had moved forward at a rate of from 

 120 to 130 miles per hour. 



As to the way in which waves could be produced on the surface 

 of the ocean, sufficient to pi-oduce the fluxes and refluxes in question, 

 it was observed — 



(1.) That the wind, by its mere mechanical pressure, was capable 

 of heaping up, over a large expanse, a considerable body of water. 

 By the force of the south or south-west blasts in the storm, the sea 

 would be elevated, and waves would thereby be formed, which would 

 move forward before the storm towards the south coast of England. 



^2.) That the level of the ocean rises in proportion to the fall of 

 the barometer ; so that if, as there was every reason to suppose, 

 this storm was accompanied in its track by a diminution of atmo- 

 spherical weight, waves almost commensurate in extent with the 

 diameter of the storm would be formed. 



In either or in both of these ways, the sea may have been, and 

 probably was, so affected on the 5th, 6th, and 7th July 1843, as to 

 produce the ebbinp- and flowing which was observed on certain parts 

 of the coasts of Great Britain. 



The following Gentlemen were duly elected Ordinary Fellows : 

 Archibald Swinton, Esq., Professor of Civil Law in the 



L^niversity of Edinburgh. 

 Dr Begbie, Fel. Roy. Col. Surg. Edin. 



The following Donations of Books to the Society's Library 

 were announced : — 

 The London University Calendar for 1844. 



