INTRODUCTIOIC. XXXV 



more certain means of foretelling hurricanes. 

 Twenty- four hours, faid he, before the hur- 

 ricane commences, you will fee the blacks 

 cotnc down from the mountain, and an-- 

 nounce its approach, Befides, the fetting 

 of the fun will determine what meafures I 

 ought to purfue, in order to prevent, as 

 much as poffible, thofe accidents which are 

 infeparable from thefe dreadful phoenomena. 

 M, Poivre's entreaties, and my obferva* 

 tions, not being capable of perfuading the 

 captain, we were obliged to wait till funfet. 

 The iky was then pure and ferene j but the 

 mercury ftill continued to fall in the tube of 

 the barometer. The fun fet very beauti- 

 fully, and the port captain, who had been a 

 long time in the fervice of the Eaft-India 

 company, left us in high fpirits, and per- 

 fcdly fecure refpeifting the misfortunes with 

 which the ifland was threatened. He 

 feemed to pity us for confidering the varia- 



c 2 tioa 



