On the Gales and Hurricanes of the Western Atlantic. 123 



In order to illustrate more fully the foregoing remarks, I annex a 

 chart of the Western Atlantic, on which is delineated the route of 

 several hurricanes and storms, as derived from numerous accounts 

 which are in my possession, by which their progress is specifically 

 identified from day to day, during that part of their route which ap- 

 pears on the chart. 



The route designated jis No. I, is that of the hurricane which vis- 

 ited the islands of Trinidad, Tobago, and Grenada, on the 23d of 

 June, 1831. Pursuing its course through the Caribbean sea, it was 

 subsequently encountered by H. M. Schooner Minx, and other ves- 

 sels, and its swell was thrown with great force upon the south-eastern 

 shores of Jamaica on the 25tb, while passing that island, where the 

 wind at this time was light from the northward. After sweeping 

 through the Caribbean sea, this hurricane entered upon the coast of 

 Yucatan, on the night of June 27th, having moved over the entire 

 route from Trinidad to the western shore of the bay of Honduras, in 

 a little more than one hundred hours, a distance of about seventeen 

 hundred nautical miles, which is equal to seventeen miles an hour. 

 I have no account of this storm after it crossed the peninsula of Yu- 

 catan, and it is probable that it did not again act with violence upon 

 the ocean level. Its course or track to Honduras was N. 74° west. 



Track No. II, is that of the memorable hurricane which desola- 

 ted Barbadoes on the night of August 10th, 1831, and which passed 

 Porto-Rico on the 12th, Aux-Cayes and St. Jago de Cuba on the 

 13th, Matanzas on the 14th, was encountered off the Tortugas on 

 the 15th ; in the gulf of Mexico on the 16th, and was at Mobile, 

 Pensacola, and New Orleans on the 17th ; a distance of 2,000 nau- 

 tical miles in about 150 hours, equal to something more than 13J 

 miles an hour.* Its course, until it crossed the tropic of Cancer was 

 N. 64° west, or W. N. W. nearly. In pursuing its northern course, 

 after leaving: the ocean level, it must have encountered the mountain 

 region of the Alleganies, and was perhaps disorganized by the resis- 

 tance opposed by these elevations. It appears, however, to have 

 caused heavy rains in a large extent of country lying north-eastward 

 of the gulf of Mexico. 



Track No. Ill, is that of the destructive hurricane which swept 

 over the Windward Islands, on the 17th of August, 1827; visited 



* Mr. Purdy states that this gale was felt at Natchez, 300 miles np the Missis- 

 sippi. 



