Vorticular Character of the Gale. 11 
tropic when off the point of Florida and in Mexico, than when 
off the Campeche Bank in lon. 90°. 
On the north coast of Cuba we find two vessels, the Rapid 
and Hilah, which had the first part of the gale from the north- 
ward and then shifting suddenly to the southern quarter and 
blowing with like violence, which shows them to have been near 
the line pursued by the axis of the gale. At Soto de la Marina 
on the coast of Mexico and at Victoria in the interior, we find 
the gale blowing first from the north, then a short /uil, such as ap- 
pears to mark the axis in all great hurricanes, and then the re- 
currence of the blast in full violence from the south as the gale 
advanced; which fixes the course of the axis at or near these 
points, and shows, also, the rotative character of the gale.* 
It is well to bear in mind the direction of these successive 
winds, as not being first from the west and then from the east, 
parallel to the route of the storm, but on the contrary, crossing, 
in succession the path of its axis. 
Hourly Progress, and Prolonged Duration with Vessels moving 
estwar 
We have seen that the rate of progression in this hurricane was 
about four degrees of longitude per day; which, if we estimate 
the degree on the parallel pursued by its axis at 63-2237 statute 
miles, shows an advance but little exceeding ten and a half miles 
per hour. This will fully account for the increased duration of 
the gale with those vessels which were running or drifting west- 
ward while exposed to its violence.—See cases 22), 24a, 25, 
and 32. 
Vorticular Character of the Gale. 
The continuance of violent easterly winds in this gale on the 
northern side of its axis, the simultaneous presence of violent 
and accordant winds from northern points of the horizon in the 
front side of the gale, the westward veering of the northwest- 
erly winds on the southern side of the storm’s axis, and the 
ther sweeping of the winds across the center path of the storm, 
in the rear side of the gale, from southern points of the horizon,— 
all go to sustain the conclusion that it was one vast whirlwind, 
acethaia around a vortical axis, which advanced with the storm.t 
. This unfailing “ tum crucis” of the chara of st toh been 
cepa obvious from the time of the firs their 
+ Had the violent winds which were exhibited ta in the front portion of ee yen been 
found blowing from the west, in the more central portions of its path, and had the later 
