On the Gales and Hurricanes of the Western Atlantic. 129 



Pacific, unless I have greatly mistaken the evidence, the same sys- 

 tem of storms is found to prevail as in the Western Atlantic in the 

 cases before us. On the western coast of North America it will ap- 

 pear, from the phases of storms as described by Cook and other voy- 

 agers, that their usual course is in a southeasterly direction. The ev- 

 idence, in the case last mentioned, though it may be satisfactory to 

 those who are familiar with the modes of investigation, can hardly be 

 estimated by general readers, and will not, therefore, be here insist- 

 ed on. The journals of voyagers and other published records, when 

 sufficiently examined and collated, are deemed to afford decisive ev- 

 idence that a system of the same general character, prevails in the 

 southern hemisphere, but exhibiting for the most part, precisely 

 counter movements. If there be any important exception, it will 

 probably be found in the limits of those counter movements of the 

 regular trade winds on both sides of the equator, which are known 

 as the westerly monsoons ;* but even in these regions, it is question- 

 able whether the course of violent storms be not uniformly the same 

 as in other regions of corresponding latitude ; but more facts of a de- 

 cisive character are wanted before this point can be settled to the 

 satisfaction of the writer. 



The routes of many other storms and hurricanes might be traced 

 on the chart, from materials now in hand, were it necessary ; and 

 they may it is believed, be somewhere found in action at all seasons, 

 and on every day in the year, although their appearance is more fre- 

 quent in some seasons and even in some years than in others. The 

 hasty outline of their progress and development, now submitted, is 

 probably, quite sufficient to overthrow some of the most common 

 hypotheses respecting their origin and times of appearance. 



Perhaps it might be deemed proper to point out on the present 

 occasion, the catenation of natural causes by which the systematic 

 organization and progress of these storms is produced and maintained; 



* The author is willing to be held responsible for this implied definition of the 

 general character of the monsoons, as he finds good reason to consider these 

 winds to be neither more nor less than a misplaced or counter deflection in the 

 course of the regular trade winds, occasioned probably, by the contour and posi- 

 tion of opposing coasts and elevations, and especially by the inferior current of 

 atmosphere which is necessarily produced by certain extensive elevations of the 

 earth's surface. It is to fallacious or misapplied reasonings, founded on a certain 

 known principle of expansion and every where adopted, that we probably owe the 

 confusion and manifest uncertainty of our knowledge in regard to the true nature 

 of the great atmospheric currents. 



Vol. XXXL— No. 1. 17 



