Miscellanies. 183 
— ‘in-a paper received in 1830, and published i in the 20th Vol. of this 
Journ 
~eig numerous. investigations of the phenomena of hurricanes, as ob- 
served at different points of their path, which Mr. R. has since made, 
have only added new confirmation of his early opinions. Several of his 
papers, embracing some of the results of these labors, have at various 
times appeared in this Journal, and in other periodical works. That’ 
which was published in 1835, was accompanied with a chart, showing the 
tracks of eleven different gales or storms. His explanation of the baro- 
metric indications observed during the access, progress, and seers of 
these storms, appears to us original, ingenious, and true ; and his direc- 
tions to navigators, concerning the measures which they should adopt, to 
extricate themselves from their destructive grasp, are surely of the highest 
practical importance. In an article published in this Journal in 1833 
Mr. R. announced the conclusion, from data whieh he had collected, that 
the storms of the Southern’ hemisphere pursue a counter direction, and 
gyrate in-the contrary way from those of the Northern : a difference 
which he considers due to their dependence on the earth’s rotation. 
~ These doctrines, (of which ,the foregoing is but an imperfect statement,) 
being so unlike those which had, for a long time held-universal sway, 
were received by most, with great hesitation, and by some, with deter- 
mined opposition. There were, however, those among us, who had 
watched the movements of the barometer, and the changes of the wind, 
during these storms, and were satisfied of the truth of the new system. 
Within a year or two, the attention of philosophers in’ foreign countries 
has been turned to this subject, and recent occurrences indicate that the 
laws of storms, which Mr. Redfield has unfolded, will soon be universally 
acknowledged. The preceding remarks are elicited by the perusal of an 
elaborate work, published the present your in London, by Lieut. Col. W. 
Reid, of the Bows Engineers, entitled “ An attempt to develop the Law 
of Storms, by means of facts arranged according to place and time, and 
hence to point out a cause for the variable winds, with the view to practical 
use in Navigation, illustrated by [9] charts and wood cuts,” pp. 436, B 
8vo. The author states, that his attention was first drawn to the si 
by the Barbadoes hurricane of August, 1831, when he was ind 
search every where, in the hope of learning the causes and mode of action 
sé these storms. “ The first paper, ” says Col. R. “I met with, which 
to convey any just opinion on the nature of hurricanes, was one 
Published i in the American Journal of Science, by Mr. W. C. Redfield, of 
New York.” Embracing with ready zeal, the views advanced in that 
paper, Col. Reid has prosecuted the study of his subject, with good judg- 
_ Inent and praiseworthy industry. In the volume before us, he has pre- 
sented the most convincing demonstration of the truth of Mr. Redfield’s 
‘doctrines, and by the aid of numerous and excellent charts and diagrams, 
