232 OBSERVATIONS ON THE WINDS. 



assume gigantic proportions as they rise towards the zenith, gradually 

 spreading out and covering the sky. Very soon appears the base of the 

 cloud forming above the horizon the dark band characteristic of the squall. 

 With this cloud comes the rain, when the wind freshens and veers imme- 

 diately to the right, blowing sometimes almost directly from the cloud-bank, 

 which, when the squall has passed, is seen in the same point of the horizon 

 as before. Later, the squalls arise from one extreme of the cloud-bank and 

 follow more or less closely the general movement of rotation. 



Finally, if the direction of the scud above the cloud-bank be noticed, it 

 will be seen that it flies parallel to it as it rotates, so that an observer who 

 is looking at the cloud-bank sees the clouds fly always from left to right in 

 horizontal lines ; thus, if the cloud-bank bears South, the clouds above it 

 fly horizontally from East to West. This does not happen when the 

 observer looks at any other point of the horizon where there may be a 

 heavy cloud, as he will soon see that the scud does not fly in horizontal 

 lines, nor does it move from left to right relatively to himself. 



The low clouds in the interior of the Hurricane fly ordinarily in directions 

 nearly perpendicular to the bearing of the centre, and consequently, apply- 

 ing the Law of Storms to the direction of these clouds, a much closer 

 approximation will be obtained in the determination of the bearing of the 

 centre than if the same Law be applied to the direction of the winds on 

 the outer edge of the Hurricane. The same may be said of the violent 

 gusts of the squalls if the wind veers always to the right, and its con- 

 vergence is lessened or done away with altogether. 



The cumulus, cirro-cumulus, and cirrus clouds which precede the Hurri- 

 cane generally diverge, that is to say, their direction forms, with the bear- 

 ing of the centre, an angle less than eight points, with the very noticeable 

 peculiarity that if different strata are observed it will be seen that the 

 divergence increases with the elevation. The gusts of the first squalls 

 which break away from the cloud-bank also diverge. 



The following Table shows graphically the approximate bearing of the 

 centre, according to the observed direction of the movement of nimbus 

 clouds and squalls ; in fact, it is the old Eight Point Rule applied to them. 

 The bearings for the intermediate points can easily be found. 



If the nimbvs clouds aud squalls move Nortli, the centre will bear East. 



N.E. 



(170.) Rules, &c. — Having endeavoured in the foregoing pages to give a 

 succinct account of Hurricanes and their attendant phenomena, we now 

 proceed to the rules and directions which have been given by various 

 authorities to avoid their violence, as deduced from the barometer and 

 weather phenomena. 



On the first suspicion of a Hurricane, lie-to or stop the engines, and 

 make everything fast. Being stationary, the shifts of wind are more easily 



