Northers.—Hurricanes. 393 
there will be a dash of rain, which however speedily gives way 
to clear, dry, cool air. Amid all the wild inaugural ceremonies 
of the norther, the cool, brisk air sweeps away languor and ex- 
haustion, and raises an effervescence of spirits which is quite 
equal to enjoying the mad dance, with all its dust and darkness, 
In afew minutes the wild humor passes, and the norther settles 
itself to work. Steadily it blows on from the N.N.W. or N. for 
a day or two, working around very slowly to the eastward. 
About the third day, its oe is mainly spent and it shades out 
into a mild and delicious N.E. breeze. Still working slowl 
eastward, it settles at E.S.E. when the regular trades prevail for 
&@ Season, "until another excursion by the south preludes another 
circuit of the compass. 
The norther of Key West is unmistakably a —— of cold 
air, moving along the earth’s = from N. to 8. with a flow 
as of a great air river. During the moments of st eae be- 
tween the head of this SOR ad the previous, warm, moist air, 
there is such a sudden cooling of portions of the la tier, that it 
sends down sometimes a few dashes of rain drops, and forms 
the dark vaporous mass which shows in the distance as the 
Bethe Bank.” When the current is fully established, there 
isno more admixture and hence no more rain, but instead a 
ng 
faces of the brick walls of Fort Taylor, making it seem suddenly 
gray with age. ‘There are usually from five to ten regular 
northers during the winter half-year, the first coming in No- 
vember and the last in March, though feeble imitations occur 
late and also during the winter. Last winter there was no 
thorough norther until March, and there is considerable irregu- 
ty about their numbers and occurrence, but, in all, the type 
is as above defined. 
6. Hurricanes—As the Key West winter ~ its northers, so 
the summer has its hurricane or hurricanes. I have witnessed. 
but two; one quite severe and the other moderate. Mr. Redfield 
so fully worked this ground, that it need only be remarked 
by me, “5% ‘wanag two gales conformed to his theory of revolving 
Storms. 7s nna uce two sets of barometer: observations, 
taken at Key Week during the August gale of 1861. The first. 
Was made by 8 Charles Howe, the Collector, at the Custom 
House, as follo 
Lae te. | Barometer. Wind. =} Character of the Weather. ] 
| 1861, 6AM 2P.M. 
_ Ang.14, | 3050 | 3046 | North. Eresh. ech a 14 ahaa 
‘ oe a o’c. P. m. Barom “ 
het ode snes of to th. 99-94 : tlo'c. A.M. wie shifted from 
oe E. to “s. a blew until 5 0’c. when i 
MT, 2) 2040544 
30°60 ps ee — rating and baromete 
: ing. 
Ie cara a a 
Oe aia magsiben ° to 82°.” 
