278 PHILOSOPHY OF STORMS. 



along the line of the Mississippi river, while in the eastern 

 States it was quite low, but rapidly rising ; and the wind east 

 of Detroit was then very uniformly blowing from the west. 

 In the valley of the Mississippi the barometer was at its 

 maximum, and the winds consequently were light, and 

 their directions various. There was a barometric mini- 

 mum at this time not far to the west, towards which the 

 whole [lower ?] atmosphere soon precipitated itself with 

 great violence. 



The barometric maximum travelled easterly, and on the 

 morning of the 20th, it passed through the eastern extremity 

 of Maine. The barometric minimum now coincides nearly 

 with the bed of the Mississippi river. On the west of this 

 line the wind blows from the north and north west ; on the 

 east side it blows from the east south east and south. The 

 winds in this direction blow with great strength. 



On the morning of the 21st, the barometric minimum 

 had arrived nearly at the city of New York. In all the 

 middle and western States, the wind is from the west and 

 north west. At a few places it is north, and at a few others 

 south west; and on the east side of the barometric mini- 

 mum the prevalent direction is from the south east. 



In the line of the minimum itself, which extended from 

 Florida to Quebec [and probably twice as far] the mean 

 direction of the wind, which was very strong, was about 

 south 5 east. At a certain distance; however, from the 

 line of minimum, the courses are very uniformly south east. 

 In the afternoon of the 21st, the line of minimum had 

 nearly reached Boston, and the north west wind had be- 

 come the prevalent one throughout almost the entire United 

 States. In the extreme west, the wind had begun to mod- 

 erate its violence, and at Fort Jesup it was north east ; at 

 Fort Gibson, east, and at Jefferson Barracks, south east. 



On the 22d, the north west wind was almost every where 

 the prevalent one, particularly in the eastern States, where 



