202 PHILOSOPHY OF STORMS. 



raged with great violence from 11, A. M., to 2, P. M., veer- 

 ing from E. N. E., to N. W. 



At Santa Cruz, on Monday the 31st July, 1837, the 

 weather was moderate ; several ships sailed on Tuesday, 

 the 1st of August ; in the evening, the wind was north east, 

 and the weather moderate. On Wednesday, the 2d, the 

 wind during the night had shifted to the north ; the weather 

 looked squally, cloudy and suspicious, and continued so 

 during the afternoon ; the wind shifted gradually to the 

 N. N. W. At 1, P. M., the falling of the barometer, the 

 appearance of the weather, and the increasing wind, left us 

 no doubt of the approaching storm, and it came on from the 

 north west, between 3 and 4 P. M. The mercury continued 

 falling, and the gale increasing, until half past 6, P. M., 

 when the wind became westerly. At 7, P. M., the mercury 

 began slowly to ascend, and yet the storm increased in vio- 

 lence. At 8, P. M., it was blowing a hurricane from the 

 west south west, to the south west, coming in furious gusts 

 until 10, P. M., when a certain decrease in their violence 

 had taken place, which abatement continued until Thurs- 

 day morning, the 3d of August, when it blew a fresh gale 

 from the south. 



Log- of the Water- Witch. Arrived off St. Thomas on 

 the 2d August ; morning squally, and the Water- Witch 

 was off St. John's, and standing for St. Thomas's, the wind 

 N. and N. N. W. Noon, shipping in the harbor visible ; 

 at 1, P. M. squalls violent; at 3, P. we had beat up within 

 half a mile of the forts, when we could proceed no further 

 from the violence of the squalls, and anchored in ten 

 fathoms water ; sent down top-gallant-yards, &c. ; did not 

 suspect a hurricane. At 5, P. M. squalls ceased, and began 

 a heavy gale of wind, at that time off the land. At 7, 

 P. M. a hurricane beyond all description, dreadful ; the 

 windlass capsized, and I could not slip my cables, ship 

 driving until I was in twenty fathoms water ; a calm then 



