THEORY DEDUCED FROM PHYSICAL LAWS. 11 



we are warranted, from this circumstance alone, in reject- 

 ing the above inference. 



If, indeed, the evidence was positive that no ashes fell to 

 the west of St. Vincent, a current from the west in that 

 particular case would be established. But here the volcano 

 which broke out in Central America in January, 1835, 

 comes to our aid; for this volcano threw its ashes in all 

 directions, many hundred miles; to Jamaica in the east, 

 and to the Pacific in the west. 



Also the volcano of Tombora, hereafter to be mentioned, 

 carried its ashes forty miles to the east, two hundred miles 

 to the north, and three hundred to the west. The phe- 

 nomena accompanying these two volcanoes, especially when 

 connected with theoretical reasons, render it probable that 

 an upper current of air as well as a lower prevails in the 

 torrid zone, from the east, and if so it will give direction to 

 storms in those latitudes towards the west. 



I might go on to draw many other deductions, purely 

 theoretical; but it will be more profitable to shew the power 

 of the theory in explaining phenomena, and to see whether 

 facts alone do not prove its truth. 



It has been known, ever since the days of Franklin, 

 who first discovered the fact, that our great N. E. storms 

 at Philadelphia commence to the S. W., and Mr. Redfield 

 of New York has shown that several hurricanes in the 

 West Indies travelled from the south towards the north, 

 gradually leaning towards the east as they approached the 

 continent, and that in all instances the wind set in from a 

 northern quarter, and terminated from a southern quarter. 



It appears, also, in the Pennsylvania Gazette of Septem- 

 ber, 1772, that at St. Eustatias, on the 31st August of that 

 year, the wind sprang up at north about eight o'clock A. M., 

 increased till twelve, then changed to east till one o'clock, 

 P. M., then S. S. E. where it blew a most terrible gale till 

 twelve at night. At Santa Cruz, W. N. W. of St. Eustatias, 



