522 EFFECTS OF HURRICANE 



warks, boats, and everything on deck had been swept 

 away ; some, that were towed in, had lost all their 

 masts, others more or less of their spars ; one had 

 her poop and all its cabins swept away ; many had 

 four or five feet water in the hold, and the clank of 

 the pumps was still kept up by the weary crew. 



Such was the description given me of the cir- 

 cumstances under which the crowd of vessels that 

 lay at anchor in Port Louis had arrived. I had 

 anticipated that I should here be enabled to make 

 some important additions to the notices of hurricanes 

 that have occasionally appeared in this work ; and 

 certainly ample opportunity now presented itself. 

 But I found that this interesting subject was in 

 more able hands, those, namely, of Mr. Alexander 

 Thorn, of H.M. 86th Regiment, whose valuable 

 observations have been laid before the public, in 

 a work called, "An Inquiry into the Nature and 

 Course of Storms ;" a volume that embraces many 

 important considerations for seamen, to whom, in- 

 deed, and to the ship-owner, Mr. Thom, by his 

 scientific investigations, has proved himself a true 

 friend. 



It is curious that military men should have been 

 the first to study the causes of hurricanes, and to 

 tell sailors how to avoid their effects ; but that such 

 is the case, the works of Colonel Reid and of my 

 friend Mr. Thom will testify. 



I had the pleasure of making the acquaintance of 

 the latter gentleman in Port Louis. What he 

 considered to be the grand sources of rotatory 



