134 Additional Objections to Redjield's Theory of Storms, 



vere part of the southeastern limb should be passed. On this part 

 of the track only one change would take place. But at two sta- 

 tions sufficiently remote from the central line, the wind in passing 

 from northeast to southeast would undergo an intermediate devi- 

 ation, but necessarily of an opposite nature, since for the same 

 reason that at one, there would be first more northing and then 

 more westing, at the other, there would be more easting and more 

 southing, pari passu. But on the outward northeastern and north- 

 western limbs, or in other words, on the right and on the left 

 external borders, there would be no change. On the one it would 

 blow from the northwest only, on the other only from the south- 

 east. On this last mentioned limb the blast would be preeminent 

 in violence, since in that direction the gyrative and progressive 

 motion of the whirlwind would concur. 



74. Nevertheless, agreeably to the observations which have 

 lifted the whirlwind theory above the reach of ray strictures, hur- 

 ricanes in the West Indies begin [at every place) from a northern 

 quarter, and changing first west, and afterwards to a southern 

 quarter, terminate their fury. Thus, agreeably to the evidence 

 of Mr. Redfield, the fury of the hurricane is the least where, ac- 

 cording to his hypothesis, it should be the greatest. 



75. Having cited and endeavored to shew the futility of the 

 only explanation which can be found in Mr. Redfield's essays of 

 the mode in which whirlwinds are induced, I will quote a pas- 

 sage from which it would seem that they are supposed capable 

 of being self-induced. Whence it would follow, that while free 

 from any external cause, his ^^ rotary movement, which is the sole 

 cause of destructive winds and tetnpests^'' could spontaneously, 

 excite itself and the adjoining elements into a destructive com- 

 motion. From this statement, it appears that the author was not 

 aware that in making it he gave a blow to his favorite idea of op- 

 posing and unequal forces, arising from gravitation and terrestrial 

 motion, being the cause of stormy atmospheric gyration. 



76. " We may observe, also, that whirlwinds a7id spouts appear 

 to commence gradually and to acquire their full activity without 

 the aid of any foreign causes ; and it is well known they are 

 most frequent in those calm regions where apparently there are 

 no active curre7its to meet each other, arid they are least frequent 

 where currents are in full activity^ (This Journal, Vol. xxxiii, 

 p. 61.) 



