of the United States and the West Indies. 115 



proceed, they become gradually extended in their dimensions, and 

 weakened in their action, till they cease to command any peculiar 

 notice. One of the hurricanes of August 1830, has been traced ia 

 its daily progress, from near th6 Caribbee Islands, to the coast of 

 Florida, and the Carolinas, and from thence to the banks of New- 

 foundland ; a distance of more than three thousand miles, which was 

 passed over by the storm in about six days. The duration of the 

 most violent portion of this gale, at the different points over which it 

 passed, was about twelve hoiirs, but its entire duration was in many 

 places, more than twice that period. Another hurricane which oc- 

 cured in the same month, passed from near the Windward islands, 

 on a more eastern but similar route, and has also been traced in its 

 daily stages by means of the journals and reports of voyagers, near 

 two thousand five hundred miles. It was in this storm, that the Rus- 

 sian Corvette Kensington, Captain Ramsey, suffered so severely. 

 The hurricane of August 1831, which desolated the island of Bar- 

 badoes on the tenth of that month, the daily progress of which has 

 al^o been ascertained, passed in nearly a direct course to the north- 

 ern shores of the Gulf of Mexico and New Orleans, where it arrived 

 on the 16th of the same month, having passed over a distance of 

 twenty three hundred statute miles in six days after leaving Barba- 

 does. Many cases of like character might be adduced. 



4. The duration of the storm at any place within its track, de- 

 pends upon its extent and the rate of velocity at which it moves, as 

 these circumstances are found to determine the time which is requi- 

 red for the storm to pass over any given locality falling within its 

 route. Storms of smaller extent or dimensions, are usually found 

 to move from one place to another with greater rapidity than larger 

 storms. 



5. The direction and strength of the wind exhibited by a storm, 

 over the greater portion of its track, are found not to he in the direc- 

 tion of its progress. The rate or velocity of this progress would in- 

 deed be insufficient to produce any violent effect. 



6. In the lower latitudes while drifting to the westward, the direc- 

 tion of the wind at the commencement, or under the most advanced 

 portion of these storms, is from a northern quarter, usually from 

 north east to north westj and during the latter part of the gale, it 

 blows from a southern quarter of the horizon, at all places where the 

 whole gale is experienced. 



