116 On the Gales and Hurricanes of the Western Atlantic. 



the opposite margins or longitudinal sections of the track of each 

 and all of these stomas.* 



At an early period of the inquiry, I met with the statement above 

 quoted from the Atlantic Memoir, which, by the direction and change 

 of wind therein mentioned, seemed to indicate that this region of the 

 Atlantic had been visited at least by one storm of a different char- 

 acter. Such, however, was the remarkable uniformity presented to 

 my view in the phenomena of the storms which were investigated, 

 that I was led, at length, to suspect some error in the above state- 

 ment, and on further inquiry, I soon found my doubts fully justified. 

 I have now before me several printed authorities of that period, from 

 which it appears that the first part of the hurricane in question, was 

 from E. S. E. and that it shifted suddenly to N. N. W.j- 



It appears, therefore, that instead of blowing as described in the 

 Memoir, this gale exhibited the usual characteristics of the Atlantic 

 hurricanes. 



If the movements of the atmosphere in these storms were of the 

 vague and erratic character which has usually been assigned to them, 

 the above correction would be of little importance. But, notwith- 

 standing the supposed, and even proverbial uncertainty of the winds, 

 navigators may be assured, that they will never, in the temperate 



* See American Coast Pilot, 12th edition, page 626 — 629; or the American 

 Journal of Science and Arts, vol. xxv. pp. 114 — 121. 



+ Extract from the Journal of an Officer on board the Ramilies. 



" September 16th, 1782. At noon, lat. 42° 15', Ion. 48° 55', wind at E. S. E., 

 blowing fresh .; 1 p. m. gale increased, hazy weather; at 3 took in sails; at 6 p. m. 

 gale very strong; bronght-to under the mainsail. Midnight, three and a half feet 

 •water in the hold; gale E. S. E. exceeding strong; at 2 a. m. on the 17th, heavy 

 rain and squally; at 3 a. u. the wind shifted; a violent squall from the N. N. W. 

 without the smallest warning of a shift, took the mainsail aback; the mainmast, 

 mizenmast, fore-topmast, and fore-yard, carried over the ship's side, and the tiller 

 broke; water 4 feet 4 inches, and gaining on us ; at daylight, 5 feet 8 inches, and 

 gaining, ship laboring in great distress ; at 5 a. m. one of the convoy foundered 

 close to us; several near us dismasted, and signals of distress making from all; 

 a prodigious swell of the sea, and heavy gale from N. W. ; at 10 a. m. hard gale 

 fromN. W. and prodigious swell; six feet water in the hold; afternoon, threw 

 guns overboard," &c. 



A letter from Captain Edwards, who commanded one of the convoy which 

 foundered after the storm, states the early part of the gale to have been from S. E. 

 by E. and the shift to have been to N. W. This trifling discrepancy confirms, 

 rather than invalidates, the general fact, and may be accounted for as a slight in- 

 accuracy on the part of the observers, or by supposing the position of Capt. Ed- 

 wards's ship to have been some distance to the southward and eastward of the 

 Eamilies. 



