81 



Report of the Maritime Conference held at Brussels for de- 

 vising a Uniform System of Meteorological Observations 

 at Sea. 



By carefully collating the observations on the direction of 

 the wind, and of the currents of the ocean, from the log-books 

 of upwards of 10,000 voyages, Lieutenant Maury, of the United 

 States Navy, has been able to construct a series of wind and 

 current charts, which have already proved of the highest value 

 to navigation,— voyages have been greatly shortened, and 

 their cost and risk much diminished. In constructing these 

 charts, the ocean is divided into spaces of 5° of latitude and 5° 

 of longitude, and the direction of the wind which is observed 

 in one part of these districts is assumed to be that in which it 

 is blowing in every other part of the district. A special chart 

 is appropriated to each month of the year, and thus the navi- 

 gator is able to see at a glance what are the prevalent winds 

 in every part of the ocean at any time of the year, and is en- 

 abled so to shapehis course as to avail himself of the favourable 

 winds, and to avoid those which are opposed to his course. 

 From this brief sketch of the principle upon which the wind 

 charts have been constructed, it will be readily understood 

 that the observations upon the direction of the currents of 

 the ocean and their temperature, when collated in the same 

 manner, will enable us to trace their circulation through every 

 part of the ocean, and the causes which give rise to and per- 

 petuate their movements; as the observations on the tempera- 

 ture and pressure of the atmosphere will enable us to trace 

 the origin and course of the great atmospheric currents. 



But when it is considered that even for spaces so large as 

 5° of latitude and 5 C of longitude, the least number of observa- 

 tions which are required for the three great oceans amounts 

 to the enormous number of 1,669,200, the minimum number 

 for each square being 100 ; and when it is borne in mind that 

 certain parts of the ocean are more frequently traversed by 

 the vessels of one nation than by those of another, and some 

 parts very rarely traversed by any, it will be evident that this 

 admirable system, so ably begun by Lieutenant Maury, can only 



VOL. LVI. NO. CXI.— JANUARY 1854. F 



