332 PHILOSOPHICAL Tl'.ANSACTIONS. [aNNO IGQS. 



But it will be objected, why should not this storm be all over those parts of 

 the West Indies, as well as Barbadoes and the Leeward-islands ; To which I 

 answer, that it lias in about 25 years of my experience, taken its course from 

 the Bermudas to the Caribees ; but seldom or never carries such a breadth as 

 from the latitude of l6 to 32 degrees, which are the latitudes of the places; 

 but it has been observed, that when hurricanes have been in Martinico, which 

 is within 2 degrees of latitude, and 2 degrees of longitude, according to the 

 miles of that circle, yet no hurricane has been in Barbadoes ; nor could I ever 

 call any of the former storms at Barbadoes hurricanes, till that last year in 1675. 

 Again it has been noted, that hurricanes have done the like to the northwards: 

 For when the hurricane has been in Antega and St. Christopher's, those ships 

 that were only in the latitude of 20 degrees, had no hurricane, but constant 

 westerly winds, reasonably fair, and then there were no hurricanes in Bermudas; 

 and when the hurricanes were at Bermudas, the Leeward or Caribee Islands had 

 no hurricane : nor had those islands the hurricane when Barbadoes had it. 



It may be also objected, why the hurricane was never known to go farther to 

 the westward than Porto Rico, which lies in or near the latitude of those islands 

 of St. Christopher's ? To this I answer, that from Porto Rico, downwards, both 

 that island and Hispaniola, as well as other adjacent islands, are of vast magnitude, 

 and very high lands, that of themselves most commonly give reversal or westerly 

 winds at night, through the year ; for there, for the reasons aforesaid, the 

 easterly wind, towards night, calms, and those lands afford a land wind, which 

 the other islands cannot do, by reason of the smallness of those Caribee Islands ; 

 but very near the shore, the trade-wind having its full power till this general 

 whirlwind comes, for the reasons aforesaid. I do imagine likewise, to the 

 southwards of Barbadoes, where the tornadoes come frequently, there are no 

 hurricanes ; nor was there at Barbadoes, when these tornadoes commonly came 

 there, which made some small reversal, though it was but for 2 or 3 hours : 

 yet the easterly wind giving some way by the sun's declining from that zenith, 

 prevents this furious reverse, where it has no vent till it is forced by the vio- 

 lence of the two winds. 



On the Mngnelism of Drills. By Mr. Ballard. N° 246, p. 417. 



I caused 6 or 7 several drills to be made before my face, and the bit or point 

 of every one become a north pole, only by hardening, before they ever came 

 to be worked, either in iron or any other matter ; so that I cannot suppose 

 those found in a shop to have acquired their j)olari!y so much from their after 

 use, as from their first make. 



That pieces ol plain iron, in shape like drills, that is something long and 

 small, always change their poles as they are inverted, the end downwards being 



