Royal Society. 307 
The benefit the Captain had of foretelling thefe hurricanes, 
was, that whereas heretofore they were lo dreadful that all fhips 
were afraid to go to fea, and rather chufe to liay in the roads 
at anchor, than to run the hazard of the mercilefs fea, altho* 
never a ilup elcaped at anchor, but was caft a (hore many 
times by the violence of the ftorm, fome veffels having been 
cad fo far on the fliore, that when the florm was over, fhey 
have been from 20 to 50 yards, dry from the waHi of thefliore, 
and the veflcls fct whole, by which means the lives of thofe 
that were in them were faved 5 but the Captain finding, 
that if a man keeps hislhip failable, with good ftore of ballafl, 
his ports well barred and cauked, his top-mafts down, and his 
tops too, if he have time, his yards laced a-port, keeping 
the doors and windows of his fhip fafi:, fhe will lie as 
well as in other flormsj and they may, having their fhips in 
readinefs, flay in the road till the ftorm begins, which is 
always firft at north, fo to the north-weft, till it conies round to 
the loLith-eaft, and then its fury is over 5 fo that with the north 
wind they may run away to the Ibuth, to g-t themfdves lea- 
room for the drift of the fouth-weft wind, where it blows very 
fiercely 5 by rhefe means the Captain, with God's blefling, pre- 
ferved himfelf in two hurricanes at fea, and in three on (hore 5 
in thofe at fea he did not lofe a fail, yard, or maft, tho* they 
were great hurricanes. 
The reafons and caufes of thefe violent ftorms, according to 
the Captain's judgment may be thefe 5 i. It is known to 
all men of experience, that to the fouthward of the T'ropic there 
is conftantly a trade-wind, or eafterly wind, which goes about 
from the north to the fouth-eaft all the year ocer, except 
where there are reverfions of breezes, and inlets near the land 5 
fo that when this hurricane, or rather whirl-wind, comes in 
oppofition to the conftant trade-wind, then it pours down with 
that force and violence, that it exceeds all ftorms of wind in 
the world ^ for it takes trees away by the roots, and thofe that 
are extraordinary ftrong rooted, it twifts off in the middle; In 
a hurricane at Nevis^ the Captain law a hign mountain that 
was all green with trees, left in moft places bare, and the 
wood lying in fuch a condition, with half trees, or ftumps, or 
quarters, that one would think it almoft incredible. 2. It is 
remarked by all men, ^hat have been in tho^e*parts where the 
lun comes to the Zenith, that at his approach towards it, there 
is always fair weather j but at his return to the iouthwards, it 
generally occafions ofF the north parts of the Equino6iial 
Q^q 2 much 
