On the prevailing Storms of the Atlantic Coast. 43 



ber 6th, 1830, swept along our whole coast in the same manner,^" it 

 being experienced from the southward and westward, by vessels which 

 were at a certain distance from the coast. It would be easy to fill a 

 volume with the record of facts of a like character, and it is believed 

 that, of the storms of the last forty years, the route and corresponding 

 character of all those which have been sufficiently violent to receive 

 notice in the marine reports, can be traced in a similar manner ; 

 while not an instance of a contrary kind has come to our knowledge. 



A remission of the south-westerly and westerly winds usually oc- 

 curs towards the close of the autumnal season, or rather, perhaps, 

 these winds exert their chief force, at this period, on more southern 

 parallels. At this period we often experience a long succession of 

 easterly storms, generally of a sluggish character, and attended with 

 cold rains. This weather sometimes continues into the winter months, 

 and generally occurs again, subsequently to the vernal equinox. 

 Perhaps some of these storms, as well as those of other periods, ori- 

 ginate to the northward or leeward of the great headlands of our 

 coast, particularly those of North Carolina ; but, however originating, 

 the absence of the impulsive effect of a brisk westerly wind, causes 

 them to linger on our shores, to the annoyance of hypochondriac^, 

 and all admirers of a cloudless sky. In some rare instances, the cir- 

 cuit of these north-eastern storms is so great as to sweep, at one and 

 the same time, up the gulf and lower valley of the St. Lawrence, and 

 along our coast, almost to Cape Hatteras, while vessels which are 

 approaching our shores from southern latitudes, encounter the same 

 atmospheric current at west and north-west. 



The prevalence of regular winds, generally tends to produce fair 

 weather. By a regular wind is here understood, an atmospheric 

 current of magnitude, which blows, uninterruptedly, in nearly a di- 

 rect course, without any extraordinary agitation of its parts, or, which 

 blows in a circuit of such extent, as to preserve a similar equability 

 and placidity of movement. At a period subsequent to the vernal 

 equinox, we are sometimes visited by an easterly wind of this charac- 

 ter, of no inconsiderable duration. A remarkable instance of the 

 kind occurred in the spring of 1830, when we experienced a regular 



* The great snow-storm and gale of January 15, 1831, which occurred after this 

 article was forwarded for publication, exhibited the same character, being a north- 

 east storm on shore, while at a certain distance from the coast, its force was ex- 

 erted in nearly an opposite direction. 



