88 MATTHEW FONTAINE MAURY 



pursuit. Storms, having their origin in one part of the 

 world and taking up their Hne of march for another, may 

 be thus narrowly watched by the mariner in communica- 

 tion with the land, in many instances for days before 

 they would reach his shipping. Being forewarned, he 

 could adopt the necessary means to evade their fury. 

 The same intelligence thus communicated to the farmer 

 and out-door laborer would be equally useful in its 

 results. Every intelligent farmer, who is willing to note 

 his observations, would become a sentinel on the watch- 

 tower to admonish his fellow-laborers in the fields, as 

 well as his co-laborers on the sea engaged in carrying his 

 produce to distant markets, of approaching foul weather 

 and consequent danger; and it is confidently maintained 

 by those whose opinions are entitled to the greatest 

 weight that with such a system of observation the laws 

 that govern the course of those storms would soon be so 

 well known that, in most cases, shipmasters and out -door 

 laborers could be forewarned of their approach. Lieu- 

 tenant Maury has also suggested that by mapping the 

 skies, for example, of the United States, and adopting 

 a system of signs and symbols, these telegraphic observa- 

 tions may be so projected on this map as to convey to 

 the observer at a glance a knowledge of the appearance 

 of the sky all over the whole country any hour in the 

 day; and that by this means the change of the appear- 

 ance of the sky, and subsequent changes of weather all 

 over a continent, may be seen and studied from day to 

 day; from which it is believed that science would deduce 



results of the highest importance It has been 



suggested by Lieutenant Maury, and approved by your 

 memorialists that the number of observers may be mul- 

 tiplied indefinitely by inviting the farmers, like the 



