252 OBSfiEVATIONS ON THE WINDS. 



ma.y not only escape them, but naay avail himself of their strong winds to assist 

 him on his passage. 

 ' Track Xn. XIII. On August ISth, 1891, a most destructive Hurricane was ex- 

 perienced at Martinique, of whicli furtlier particulars are given later on. This 

 storm took a somewhat irregular course, crossing over Porto Eico, the Caicos, 

 Crooked Island, and lower Florida, finally dying out in the N.E. part of the Gulf. 

 This unusual course, and its failure to recurve, are remarkable, probably owmg 

 to areas of high pressure to the Northward. 



Ti-ack Nu. XIV. shows the course of a Hurricane which passed near Bermuda, 

 September 21st, 1891. Here, after recvurving, it bore rapidly away to the Eastward. 



Track No. XV. shows the abnormal course of a Hurricane which passed about 

 500 miles East of Newfoundland on June 9th and 10th, 1891. This was probably 

 due to an Anti-Cyclonic area of high pressure lying to the Eastward. 



Track No. XVI. shows the unusual track of a Hurricane experienced in the 

 Tropics, between August 15th and 19th, 1892. Observations seem to indicate 

 that it moved in a South- Westerly direction towards St. Thomas, before following 

 the track usually taken by these storms in the Tropics. This Hurricane was of 

 small area, but most violent in energy. 



(194.) The Great Hurricane, which commenced at Barbadoes on October IQth, 

 1780,* was preceded in the evening of the 9th by weather remarkably calm, but 

 the sky surprisingh? red and fiery, and during the night much rain fell. The storm 

 approached from the S.E., and the ships of the squadron stationed here experienced 

 the Hurricane, each in turn, according to the place she was in. A letter from 

 Dr. Blane, dated from the Su7idwich, Sir George Rodney's flagship, stated that it 

 was not previously apprehended that there would be anything more than such a 

 gale as they experience from time to time at that season ; but, on the evening of 

 the 10th, the wind rose to such a degree of violence as clearly to amount to what 

 is called a Hurricane. At 8 p.m. it began to make an impression on all the 

 houses, by tearing off the roofs, and overthrowing some of the walls. As the 

 inhabitants had never been accustomed to such a convulsion of nature, they re- 

 mained for some time in security, but they now began to be in the utmost con- 

 sternation. * * * * It was thought to be at its greatest height at midnight, 

 and did not abate considerably until eight next morning. During all this time, 

 most of the inhabitants had deserted their houses, to avoid being biuried in the 

 ruins ; and every age, sex, and condition, were exposed in the fields to the impe- 

 tuous wind, incessant torrents of rain, and the terrors of thunder and lightning. 

 Many were overwhelmed in the ruins, either by clinging for shelter too long in 

 the buildings, or attempting to save what was valuable, or by miavoidable accidents 

 in the fall of walls, roofs, and furniture, the materials of which were projected to 

 great distances. Even the bodies of men and cattle were lifted off and carried 

 above the ground. From an estimate of the number of deaths reported to the 

 governor, they amounted to more than 3,000. All the fruits of the earth were 

 destroyed : most of the trees torn up by the roots, and many of them stripped of 

 their bark. The sea rose so high as to destroy the fort, carrying the great guns 

 many yards from the platform, and demolishing the houses near the beach. A 

 ship was driven on shore against one of the buildings of the naval hospital, which, 

 by this shock, and by the impetuosity of the wind and sea, was entirely destroyed 

 and swept away. * * ♦ * The mole-head was swept away ; and ridges of 

 coral rock were thrown up to above the surface of the water ; but the harbour and 

 roadstead were, upon the whole, improved, having deepened in some places 6 feet, 

 in others manv fathoms. The crust of coral, which had been the work of ages, 



* The track of this Hurricane is shown ou the Chart, commoucing between Nos. i. 

 and ii. 



