TRANSACTIONS OF THE SECTIONS. 39 



Observations on the Meteorological Phenomena of the Vernal Equinoctial 

 Week. By M. Du Boulay. 



The author has been engaged for the long period of thirty years in endeavouring 

 to ascertain whether there could be traced in the winds or weather prevailing about 

 the equinox, in any given locality, a connexion with, or resemblance to, the winds 

 and weather generally prevailing during the ensuing summer in the same locality. 

 He infers from his observations that such is the case, and that the probable character 

 of the summer in England may be predicated about the 25th of March, by noting 

 the weather to the equinoctial week then just ended. He gave examples in support 

 of his views. 



On the Effect of a Rapid Current of Air. By R. Dowden. 



On British Storms, illustrated with Diagrams and Charts. 

 By Admiral FitzRoy, F.R.S. 



It is well known that no year passes in which the British islands are not visited by 

 storms, and that they vary in degree of force from what seamen call a gale to a 

 hurricane irresistible in violence. Only of late years, however, has it been supposed, 

 and but recently proved, that nearly all, if not indeed the whole, of these remarkable 

 tempests, by which a very notable amount of injury has been done, have been so 

 much alike in character, and have been preceded by such similar warnings, as to 

 warrant our reasoning inductively from the well-ascertained facts, and thence inferring 

 laws. Every one looks back to some extraordinary storm as exceeding all others in 

 his lifetime; but a tempest that is severely felt in one part of the country is not 

 always extensive, but usually the reverse, — more or less limited in area, varying in 

 range, direction, and force. It would be tedious to advert to some of even the most 

 devastating tempests in much detail, therefore I propose to take three only as types, 

 and glance summarily over their most marked features, hoping that the diagrams 

 suspended around or lying on the table will supply enough additional facts. The 

 first storm to which I would ask attention in passing is that so well and so fully 

 described by De Foe, in 1703. He calls it (page 11) "the greatest, the longest in 

 duration, the widest in extent of all the tempests and storms that history gives any 

 account of since the beginning of time Our barometers," he continues, " in- 

 formed us that the night would be very tempestuous; the mercury sank lower than 

 ever I had observed it on any occasion " (page 25) ; it fell to 28 - 47 (page 30). This 

 storm began at south and veered through the west towards north, round to the south, 

 and then continued between south-west and north-west, with more or less strength, 

 for a whole week ! Very remarkable it is that not only did De Foe suppose this 

 storm began near the southern coast of North America, but that it traversed England, 

 France, and the Baltic, to lose itself in the Arctic regions. He recurs afterwards 

 to its shifting from south-west to north-west, and coming from the west like other 

 storms in the south of England, but does not advert to any corresponding north- 

 easterly wind, nor had he evidently any idea of a rotitory or circulating atmospheric 

 current. Probably accounts from the north of England were much less attainable 

 then ; but it is noted that the north of England escaped the violence of that storm. 

 I cannot now take more from De Foe, but venture to say that his graphic accounts 

 of many storms, and the more comprehensive views of Dampier, are well worth the 

 notice of even scientific meteorologists. To Franklin, Capper, Redfield, Reid, and 

 Dove, besides other authorities, seamen may well be grateful ; for their works, and 

 those compiled from them, are facts and inferences at present trusted because demon- 

 strated to be indisputably true. 



It is now necessary that other storms should be noticed, and in a much more 

 precise manner; but two alone will probably suffice as types. The 'Royal Charter' 

 gale, so recent in our recollection, so remarkable in its features, and so complete in its 

 illustrations, I may say, from the fact of its having been noted at so many parts of 

 our coast, and because the storm passed over the middle of the country, is one of 

 the easiest to deal with which has occurred for some length of time. I would 

 therefore ask for a few minutes' attention to this particular instance. There are 

 four diagrams among those on the wall which refer particularly to the 25th and the 



