278 _British Association for the Advancement of Science. 
work he states his belief that hurricanes will be found to be great 
whirlwinds; and says, “it would not perhaps be a matter of 
great difficulty to ascertain the situation of a ship in a whirl- 
wind, by observing the strength and changes of the wind. If 
the changes are swdden, and the wind violent, in all probability 
the ship must be near the center of the vortex of the whirlwind; 
whereas, if the wind blows a great length of time from the same 
point, and the changes are gradual, it may reasonably be suppo- 
sed that the ship is near the extremity of it.” In this conjecture 
respecting the nature of hurricanes, Col. Reid conceived Col. 
Capper to be decidedly right, and the conclusion he drew from it 
has stood the test of close examination. Mr. Redfield, following 
up the observation of Franklin, and though probably unac- 
quainted- with the views or opinions of Capper, ascertained that 
while the northeast storms were blowing on the shores of Amer- 
ica, the wind was with equal violence blowing a southwest storm 
in the Atlantic. Tracking Franklin’s storms from the southward, 
he found, throughout their course, that the wind on opposite 
sides of the shore over which the storm prevailed, blew in oppo- 
site directions, and that in fact, the entire storm was a progres- 
sive whirlwind, and that all these whirlwinds revolved constantly 
in the same direction. Ina No. of the American Journal of Sci- 
ence, (for 1831,) Col. Reid found collected together many records 
of the same storms, and a chart on a very small scale, showing 
the progress of one. Strongly impressed with the conviction 
that Mr. Redfield’s views were correct, he determined. to verify 
them by making charts on a large scale, and laying down on 
them the different reports of the directions of the wind at points 
given in the American Journal of Science : and the-more exactly 
this was done, the nearer was the approximation to the tracks of 
a progressive whirlwind.* He then exhibited to the Section @ 
volume,t containing eight charts on a large scale, of which the 
rs if 5 : ———— 
7 ona 
: , in consequence of our frequent intercourse with Mr. Redfield, been 
acquainted with the pro ess of his inquiries and discoveries, we may here state 
that the course adopted by Col. Reid, of plotting-on a large chart, the various Te- 
ports.of a storm, had been employed many years pearionss by Mr. R., and indeed 
led him to his most important con conclusions. We also mention that we are 
sure that Mr. R. has not to this day, seen Col. Capper s book, and that he was not 
-aware of its —— until just before the reception of Col. Reid’s work.—EDSs. 
t See a notice of — 183 of this volume.—Epns. | 
