during a Storm. 331 
We may now speculate upon the cause of 
this great influx of sea-water:—as salt is 
known not to evaporate, there can be bit one 
opinion as to the cause; it must be brought 
by the violent impetuosity of the wind acting 
upon the spray from the tumultuous waves of 
the ocean. The storm was from the S. W. 
to the W. The 8S. W. wind comes from 
the coast of Wales, distant 100 miles, over 
an uneven country, which would contribute 
to whirl the spray up into the clouds, and 
might well suspend it for half an bour or more 
during its passage. The west wind would 
have a shorter passage of only 30 or 40 miles 
from off Liverpool. The great resistance 
which the air occasions to the descent of mi- 
nute drops of water, is evinced from the 
great progress of clouds, without much ap- 
parent descent even in a moderate current of 
air. I think it is not improbable in such a 
storm that the salt water might be carried 
across the island. And it may be worth fu- 
ture enquiry whether a moderate breeze from 
the W. or S. W. may not frequently bring 
us some traces of salt water with the rain, 
when the quantity is too minute to be detect- 
ed by common observation, but may probably 
be shewn clearly by the usual chemical tests. 
