CLIMATE. 



169 



atmospheric equilibrium rarely occur. When they 

 do happen, the destruction they cause is greater at 

 sea than on the land, and more upon the southern 

 and southeastern coast, than upon the northern and 

 northwestern. In 1527, the famous expedition of 

 Panfilo de Narvaez was partly destroyed by one in 

 the harbor of Trinidad de Cuba. 



[Note.— Since the visit of Baron Humboldt to Cuba, 

 in the beginning of the present century, only two 

 hurricanes have been experienced there. The first 

 of these occurred on the 4th and 5th of October, 

 1844. It began about ten o'clock on the evening of 

 the 4th, and continued with great violence until 

 daylight, when the point of greatest descent of the 

 barometer, 28.27, was observed. From that time, 

 it subsided, and the torrents of rain began to cease, 

 but the wind continued to blow with great violence 

 until 10 A.M. This storm passed over all the zone 

 of country comprised between Bahia Honda and 

 Sierra Morena on the north, and Galafre and Cien- 

 fuegos on the south side of Cuba. One hundred and 

 fifty-eight vessels were wrecked in the harbors and 

 on the coasts, and one hundred and one lives were 

 lost. The crops suffered severely, and 2,546 houses 

 were destroyed. The second hurricane occurred in 

 the following year, and was more destructive than 



8 



