5::. JAMAICA. 



IIurr'K'anes are always accompanied with great rain?, and a cool 

 flatc of the air ; however deftructive therefore they may be in fome 

 refpedi, they fertilize the earth, purge the atmofphere from malignant 

 vapours, and bring with them a healthful feafon. 



The folio wino; is a llfi: of thofe which have been noted at our 

 principal iflands : 



ityo — Barbadoes. 1720 — Barbadoes. 



3674 — Ditto. 1722 — Jamaica. 



1675 — Ditto. ^733 — Caribbees in general. 



1691 — Antigua. 1/44 — Jamaica. 



1700 — Barbadoes. 1764 — Martinico, and Carthagena, 



lyoz — Ditto. and partially at fome of 



1707 — Caribbeeifles in general our Caribbee ifles. 



1712 — Jamaica. ^77^ — Moll of the Caribbee ifles. 



The mechanifm of thefe ftorms does not yet feem to be fatisfadorily 

 explained ; for, if thty were the refult of ftated eiJeds caufed on the 

 Tropical atmofphere, by the fun's annual progrefs to, continuance near, 

 and recefs from, the Northern Tropic, we fhould expeft to lee thefe 

 gales more regular and uniform, or, at leaft, that they would happen 

 at ftated periods. But, on the contrary, we find them variable, and 

 feemingly much dependent on the cafual ftate of the atmofphere, in 

 particuku" regions; iniomuch, that in fome years they have been pcr- 

 fcdily local, and fallen on fome one ifland, without difturbing the 

 reft. Nor is the caufe explained why, when they happen, the wind 

 Ihould always incline round by the Weftern points. But, in all cafes, 

 ii very extenfive and unufual rarefatlion of the atmofphere in fome one 

 place, may perhaps be nccefl'ary to produce them ; and I have ob- 

 served, that, in our autumnal feafons, which fall out not long after 

 the Equinox, we have generally in Jamaica a kind of hurricane in 

 miniature ; for, after the Tea breeze has failed and flackened, calms 

 enfue ; thin the feafon comes on generally with a moderate gale at 

 firft from the S. W. and before the weather breaks up, it varies to 

 leveral points of the compafs, till it is fixed in the N, E. The analogy 

 hetwcju tbclc little conflids and thofc greater ones, which conftitutc a 

 -true hurricane, is very remarkable. 



I cannot here omit the prefcription which the learned Doi^lor Hales 

 has given us for abating t^". force of thele ftorms. For this purpofe 

 he advifes the firing a good number of Iky-rockcts, or hoiiting paper 

 kites, one tied to another, with a rocket, or piftol, faftened at the 

 tail of the uppermoft, to be let off by means of a match, on attaining 

 its gicattft elevation. This projcft is founded on the fuppofiiion that 



as 



