On the Gales and Hurricanes of the Western Atlantic. 129 
Pacific, unless I have greatly mistaken the evidence, the same sys- 
tem of storms is found to prevail as in the Western Atlantic in the 
cases before us. On the western coast of North America it will ap- 
pear, from the phases of storms as described by Cook and other voy- 
agers, that their usual course is in a southeasterly direction. The ev- 
idence, .in the case last mentioned, though it may be satisfactory to 
hose who are familiar with the modes of investigation, can hardly be 
estimated by general readers, and will not, therefore, be here insist- 
edon. The journals of voyagers and other published records, when 
sufficiently examined and collated, are deemed to afford decisive ev- 
idence that a system of the same general character, prevails in the 
southern hemisphere, but exhibiting for the most part, precisely 
counter movements. there be any important exception, it will 
probably be found in the limits of those counter movements of the 
regular trade winds on both sides of the equator, which are known 
as the westerly monsoons ;* but even in these regions, it is question- 
able whether the course of violent storms be not uniformly the same 
as in other regions of corresponding latitude ; but more facts of a de- 
cisive character are wanted before this point can be settled to the 
satisfaction of the writer. 
he routes of many other storms and hurricanes might be traced 
on the chart, from materials now in hand, were it necessary ;.a 
they may it is believed, be somewhere found in action at all seasons, 
and on every day in the year, although their appearance is more fre- 
quent in some seasons and even in some years than in others. The 
hasty outline of their progress and development, now submitted, is 
probably, quite sufficient to overthrow some of the most common 
hypotheses respecting their origin and times of appearance. 
Perhaps it might be deemed proper to point out on the present 
occasion, the catenation of natural causes by which the systematic 
organization and progress of these storms is produced and maintained ; 
* The author is willing to be held responsible “ee this implied definition of the 
general character of the monsoons, as he Soda ood reason to consider seme 
atmosphere which is necessarily produced by certain extensiv exenyinae of the 
earth’s surface. It is to fallacious or misapplied reasonings, Fae on a certain 
known p principle of and every where adopted, that we probably owe the 
confusion and manifest Xoneetay of our knowledge i in regard to the true nature 
of the great atmospheric : 
Vou. XXXL—_No. 1 17 
