42 REPORT — 1860. 



ships suffered which were to the northward of me at the same time, that further 

 from nie it blew harder. I did not suffer any damage, whatever more than usual in 

 ordinary blows; only a little chafe and some spray. The lightning alluded to above 

 was very unnatural in its appearance, being of such a sharp flashing glare, without 

 leaving off. Unless looking at the exact place of its flash, you could not tell from 

 where the light actually came. 



(Signed) "William J. Johns, Commanding the Ship." 

 " William Camming, U. S." 



These two instances are important ; one of a ship managed in accordance with 

 instructions published for seamen, being saved, while the other, which adopted a 

 different course, was lost. There is one special instance on which not only private 

 but public interests were at stake, and where the ship to which I allude was seriously 

 injured. There was one of Her Majesty's ships, a 90-gun ship, fitted up with steam- 

 engine and other appliances, in the Atlantic, in the early part of October last. That 

 ship had very bad weather near the edge of the Gulf-stream. A succession of circling 

 storms occurred, and in every instance the ship was managed in direct opposition 

 to the known laws of storms, was considerably damaged, and obliged to return. 

 Now, that is a fact which ought not to have occurred in the British Navy at the 

 present day. It might have been that there was some reason for such usually in- 

 correct proceeding in one instance; but that there should have been any reason in 

 three successive instances is more than we can conceive : any one can estimate the 

 amount of expense caused by a ship so brought back to England from tier destination. 

 The simple rule of seamanship is when facing the wind the centre of the storm will be to 

 the right or on the rigid hand, therefore you should go to the left. In the southern 

 hemisphere the centre is on the left hand, and you must go to the right, supposing 

 that sea-room and circumstances enable you to choose. But these, simple results 

 are the consequence of very great consideration on the part of scientific persons, — 

 particularly Sir W. Reid, Redfield, Capper, Espy, Dr. Lloyd, and others, — especially 

 those in India, who have done so much, viz. Piddington and Thorn. In this 

 country no one has effected more than Sir W. Reid, who collected together all that 

 had been done for many years, and published in a clear manner the results of his 

 accumulated investigations. A very remarkable srorm has been lately traced by 

 Mr. Rowell, of Oxford, and his description published within the last few days. This 

 storm occurred near Calne in Wiltshire, cutting through fields and trees, and in one 

 place actually lifted a broad-wheeled waggon from the road over a hedge into the next 

 fieldl The violence of the wind was confined to a limited line. The downward and 

 onward pressure of the wind was so great in that locality, that it acquired such 

 elasticity as to lift opposing weights and carry them on. I have known such things 

 myself. I have known the wind lift a boat into the air and shake it to pieces. We 

 have all heard of houses being unroofed, of trees torn up by the force of the wind ; 

 but this is the first time I have heard of a heavy waggon being lifted up and hurled 

 over a hedge. 



I will only venture to make one or two observations in reference to the theory 

 of these subjects. Dove, in his work, shows how currents of wind, parallel cur- 

 rents, as he calls them, co-exist. A great polar current coming from the north 

 and east is passing in one direction, while a current from the tropical regions is 

 going in the other direction, nearly opposite ; but to follow the theoretical consider- 

 ations of how these great currents move from the Arctic regions towards the tropics 

 and return to the Arctic regions, is a subject too large for the present limited time. 

 Dove has shown most clearly in his work (which is translated into English), that 

 circulation of the atmosphere in great polar and equatorial or tropical currents, pre- 

 vail not only in our hemisphere, but everywhere. I can bear witness that his 

 reasonings and particular views can be corroborated in every part of the world. 



The British Association has made application to Her Majesty's Government to 

 authorize arrangements for communicating warning of storms from one part of the 

 country to the other; and, in conclusion, I will read the details of that arrange- 

 ment which promises to be so beneficial. Arrangements have been authorized 

 by the Board of Trade (under a minute from the President, dated June 6), in conse- 

 quence of which a daily and mutual interchange of certain Unfiled meteorological 

 information will be transmitted between London and Paris, the results of five 



