390 



nulesfor !ai/i)ij S/u)^s to in Iftirrit aues. 



In tlu> 12tli tulition of the ' Amcri. nn Coast Pilot,' will he found somo 

 practical rules, by Mr. Redfiold, upplii uble to ships nieetino- storms in 

 the North Atlantic, and all I have oollected proves that these rules are 

 oonoct. That a seaman may be able to a])ply them, however, requires 

 that he should study the subject and understand the princi|)le. 



Wheu storms recurve in either hemisphere, and cross the tracks of 

 ships, the practical application of surh knowledge as we have gained 

 becomes more complicated. This will frequently happen to ships on 

 their homeward voyage from India, and as they cross the meridians of 

 the islands of Mauritius and Bourbon, about the 25th degree of south 

 latitude. This may be a reason wdiy the neighbourhood of these islands 

 is so much dreaded : for the Mauritius hurricanes, instead of originating 

 there, appear to come from the eastward. 



if two ships, one in each hemisidiere, were sailing west, and each met 

 storms after they had recurved, the centres of both of which storms were 

 also on the same parallels of latitude as the ships, the vessel in north 

 latitude would meet the wind at south, and that in south latitude would 

 meet the wind at north. Each ship would be most likely to avoid the 

 storm by putting her head tow^ards the equator : but they would be on 

 opposite tacks. The ship in north latitude would be on the starboard 

 tack, the ship in south latitude on the larboard. In both cases the wind 

 would veer towards west, and both ships woidd come up until the storms 

 passed by them, in their progress towards their proper poles ; after 

 which the wind might be variable. 



The storm tracks here traced are far from sufficient in number to afford 

 that knowledge of the winds, at which we are now capable of arriving. 

 My ol)ject has been to prove, that the subject deserves the attention of 

 abler men than myself, and that we have hitherto studied meteorology 

 in far too confined a s[)here. Since our own country is too limited for 

 the comparisons required, nations should combine to study the atmos- 

 pheric laws. The light-houses along the coasts of the civilized world 

 might exchange their observations for this end. The great steam navi- 

 gation companies might place their log-books where easy reference 

 could be made to them; and, in the Pacitic Ocean, many useful obser- 

 vations be made by the large body of Englishmen settled there as mis- 

 sionaries. A more perfect knowledge of the subject would improve 

 international communication, which it is to be hoped for the benefit of 

 mankind.* 



* Reid, pp. 423-31. 



