1855.] A Twenty-fourth Memoir on the Law of Storms. 427 



and I fancy it is corroborative of one of the theories anent these pheno- 

 mena. " 



Mr. Crank mentioned also a confusion of strange and horrible sounds, 

 and he describes them as follows : — 



Query. — What were the nature of the sounds you describe ? You were 

 so near to, or at the passage of the centre, where these singular noises are 

 freqaently described, that it is of much interest to know something about 

 them ? 



Answer. — " The sounds noted in my letter to Mr. R. — were of so pecu- 

 liar a nature that I can scarcely describe them. You have doubtless been 

 on the deck of a ship in a dark night where the upper sails have flapped 

 against the masts ? Such like sounds met my ears on the night of the 

 14th.* Then it would appear as if vast bodies of winged animals were 

 hurrying across, whose wings were striking against each other in a thou- 

 sand directions, f These sounds were blended with others not less unusual 

 — crashing like trees — whistling — roaring — or as if heavy bodies were 

 falling from a height against each other, and by the concussion were 

 shattered into fragments. At this time I was out on the plain, and the strife 

 of the elements was awful ; ever and anon such a pressure of the wind from 

 above, that I was almost crushed to the earth ; then it would strike me 

 on one side — then on another, and I came to the conclusion that I was 

 in the centre of a whirlwind.^ I was for a time stupified. To turn my 

 face to the Eastward for more than a few seconds was impossible, the 

 rain was driven with the force of arrows into the face, and the oppression 

 was similar to what one feels on riding a fast horse at racing speed. 



Unfortunately, and this he very much regrets, as we must also do, the 

 only instrument which Mr. Crank had with him was a Thermometer, 

 which stood till the lull at about 88° in a room, but he is not certain as to 

 a degree or so, not having his glasses at hand. At the time of the lull it 

 became so exceedingly cold that every one remarked it, and on looking 

 at the Ther. he found it standing at 65 or 66° ! At daylight it was at 90° 

 or something less."// 



* The cracking of a huge electrical machine we might suppose to produce such 

 sounds ? — H. P. 



"j" The rushing noise of the currents of air as generated by the electric discbarge ? 

 see Peltier.— H. P. 



t This passage is one of immense importance, for together with others which 

 will soon be published, it settles the question of any upward tendencies of the wind 

 at the centre in the negative, and very strongly corroborates my theory of electric 

 aud spiral currents. 



3 K 



