Storms of' the West Indies. 21 



probable, that as they proceed, they become gradually exttiided 

 in their dimensions, and weakened in their action, till they cease 

 to command any peculiar notice. One of the hurricanes of Au- 

 gust 1830, has been traced in its daily progress, from near the 

 Caribbee Islands to the coast of Florida, and the Cai-olinas, and 

 from thence to the banks of Newfoundland, a distance of more 

 thaii- 3000 miles, which was passed over by the storm in about 

 six days. The duration of the most violent portion of this gale, 

 at the different points over which it passed, was about twelve 

 hours; but its entire duration was in many places more than 

 twice that period. Another hurricane, which occurred in the 

 same month, passed from near the Windward Islands, on a more 

 eastern but similar route, and has also been traced in its daily 

 stages by means of the journals and reports of voyagers, near 

 2500 miles. It was in this storm, that the Russian corvette 

 Kensington, Captain Ramsay, suffered so severely. The hurri- 

 cane of August 1831, which desolated the Island of Barbadoes 

 on the 10th of that month, the daily progress of which has also 

 been ascertained, passed in nearly a direct course to the northern 

 shores of the Gulf of Mexico and New Orleans, where it ar- 

 rived on the 16th of the same month, having passed over a dis- 

 tance of 2300 statute miles in six days after leaving Barbadoes. 

 Many cases of like character might be adduced. 



4. Tlie duration of the storm, at any place within its track, 

 depends upon its extent, and the rate of velocity at which it 

 moves, as these circumstances are found to determine the time 

 which is required for the storm to pass over any given locality 

 falling withinits route. Storms of smaller extent or dimensions 

 are usually found to move from one place to another with greater 

 rapidity than larger storms. 



5. The direction and strength of wind exhibited by a storm, 

 over the greater portion of its track, are found not to he in the 

 direction of its progress. The rate or velocity of this progress 

 would indeed be insufficient to produce any violent effect. 



6. In the lower latitudes, while drifting to the westward, 

 the direction of the wind at the commencement, or under the 

 most advanced portion of these storms, is from a northern quar- 

 ter, usually from northeast to northwest; and during the latter 

 part of the gale, it blows from a southern quarter of the horizon, 

 at all places where the whole gale is experienced. 



