a certain time alternately in the navy and merchant service, a sound plan would have been matured by this time, without any further necessity for legislative interference.

An over confidence has wrecked many a ship, and lost many a battle. Procrastination may bring fair weather to the traveller, but it has sealed the fate of empires! and "time enough" is a "shocking bad" counsellor.

What has neglect not done? It lost to Portugal the "New World."— And to Spain, the celebrity of establishing steam navigation 304 years ago! To us, a vast sacrifice of valuable lives may be the result of delay and neglect. Europe, may be said to be at the present time, in a transition state; like the calm on the ocean, the quietude which the world has been enjoying, may prove only a prelude to commotion. Ships, we have in plenty, but they may as well be where the Old Royal George was, unless we can get crews to man them readily. From an ardent zeal for the service, we have ventured to give the outline of a plan, which if it be not the best that could be devised, has at least the merit of being better than none, and is well meant.

Connected, intimately with the subject of the best means for obtaining and retaining seamen in the navy is their treatment. I shall close this article with a few remarks bearing on that point.

It has been observed that "all happy obedience must arise from affection." To produce happiness and content in a ship's company, it is essential that the obedience exacted, should by every proper meaus, be made subservient in establishing the feelings of respect and regard towards the person of the chief who commands, and the subordinate officers throughout.

Mere external obedience springing alone from the force of professional law, may, indeed, ensure the strictest dicipline and the nicest order, but it will not accomplish the more elevated moral effect of attachment, which adds so pleasing a feature to the fulfilment of both; and which also must prove of reciprocal advantage to the governing power, and the governed.

The “ law of kindness" and no man is more susceptible of its impress ions than the seaman,-is one which the most stubborn disposition cannot long resist, and it is the only human moral-instrument that is capable in conjunction with an appeal to reason, of reclaiming an irregular nature. This may partly be accounted for, perhaps, from the fact that the affections are not subject to the will; and also from the consideration that austerity of conduct or rule, exercised with a view to impress the mind with a befitting respect for station, may gain that end—but nothing more; acting similarly to the effect of severity of punishment inflicted on the body,-which, though it may break the spirit-will never reform the mind, or purify the heart.

It has likewise been observed that, " an effect could as easily exist without a cause, as affection in the bosom of any human being, which was not produced by goodness, or excellence seen, or believed to exist in some other being." The converse of this may be taken, perhaps, as a general fact; and, if so, a harsh or tyrannical commander, however much

his better nature may prompt the desire to be beloved by those under him will be disappointed; he must first establish a cause to induce the will of others to regard him.

ON THE ABERRATION OF HURRICANES, &c.

It is to be hoped, Mr. Editor, that as your readers are generally professional, they will not tire on the repetition of remarks on hurricanes. That it is extremely desirable to gain a correct knowledge of those wonderful meteors, all will doubtless agree, and that to accomplish this to the fullest extent possible, will require study and research. This admission granted, it necessarily follows that, to make the results available to the profession, they should be promulgated.

Our former opinion that, hurricanes are attended with a vibratory, or oscillatory motion, from the irregularity noted in some of those storms, has been strengthened by the perusal of an account of the hurricane (identical with the Theseus's,) of September, 1804, as experienced at the Island of Antigua.

The account states, that this extensive storm commenced with the wind at N., which veered to N.N.W., and shifted suddenly to W., ending with it at S.

The tempest lasted 48 hours, (4th and 5th of September,) and if we allow only 15 miles an hour for its progress, the diameter would be 720 miles, or 12 degrees of latitude, and the circumference 2263 miles; so, that when it struck Antigua, the centre must have been abreast of it, and the southern verge just brushing the parallel of the Island of Tobago; and thus including within the anterior sweep, Barbuda, Guadaloupe, Deseada, Mariegalante, Dominica, Martinico, St. Lucia, the N.E. part of St. Vincent, and Barbados. Truly, Sir, a whirlwind upon such a scale must be regarded as one of the greatest wonders of the creation; need we then, even if there were no other importance attached to the investigation, offer any apology for pursuing the inquiry?

It is probable that this great meteor covered a much larger space than we have assigned to it, as we find from the mean of means of eight hurricanes, traced by Mr. Redfield, that, their rate was 18 miles an hour. Before the storm had ceased at Antigua, it commenced at the Bahamas.

If the vibratory motion be not allowed in this instance, the course of the hurricane to produce the changes of wind, as noted by the observer, must have been nearly W. N.; for, had it proceeded direct to the N.W., without lateral motion, at no time could the wind have been felt at Antigua, farther to the southward, than W.b.S., or at most W.S.W.

The crisis must have taken place when the wind shifted suddenly from N.N.W. to W., at which time the centre of the commotion was at its nearest approach to the island.

* See Naval Chronicle, 12th vol.

Mr. Redfield has traced this hurricane, and he gives its general intertropical route at N.W.; hence we are led to consider that the vicinity of land causes an aberration, and that either a vibration, or a divergency in the regular course of the progression takes place.

In addition to the instances we have given in this and former papers, of the irregularity we are speaking of, it is essential that we notice what Dr. Campbell, in his Naval History, states, respecting the course of the wind in these storms, as he appears to have been at some pains in obtaining information; and it bears out our opinion.

In his 4th vol. at p. 195, he says, that, "hurricanes commence with the wind at N., (at Jamaica,) continuing to shift to the westward, and so end at S.E." With the N.W. progression a hurricar e commencing at N., (as in the former case above given) would end at W.b.S., or W.S.W.; so, that to reconcile the statement, admitting the changes to be given correctly, the progression must be first, nearly W., until the wind came round to that point, when it must have altered to a S.W. course, to bring the wind to S.E.; unless we admit a vibration to the southward, after the wind had got to W.; and preceding that, allowing the N.W. progression, which would account for the changes from N. to W. All these coincidences as to an irregularity in the progression of hurricanes on approach to land, are too remarkable to be disregarded, and demand investigation, on any future occasions.

We submit the following additional questions, for future investigation. 1. Has the hurricane whilst pursuing one particular course, a vibratory motion; and if so, does it take place in the vicinity of land only; or alike in the open ocean?

2. Are all hurricanes subject to lateral motions, or are some exempt, whilst others partake of them?

We know from experience that they do not always happen, but we give the question to confirm former observation.

3. Is the hurricane (inter-tropical) whilst pursuing a general course to the N.W., subject to turn aside, and follow another route for a short time, and then fall into the general course again?

4. The probable causes of such motions?

Every intelligent seaman will at once perceive the force and bearing of these queries, and how necessary it is that they should be settled, in order that we may arrive at a right understanding of the whole economy of the wonderful phenomenon. The hurricane of August, 1809, moved on a W.N.W. course, as also those of June, 1831, and August, 1835. The diameter of the former was about 300 miles, and the circumference 943.

We have a few words more to add respecting the mode of operation of these storms, which we hope may be the means of drawing the attention of the scientific to the subject.

We must look to some law of nature governing aërial vortices, for the interesting fact of these tempests always preserving a rotary motion; and (as far as yet ascertained) of the still more remarkable action of gyrating from right to left.

But how is this law to be arrived at? The action of the common whirlwind from multiplied observation may settle whether the latter be invariable or not; but the cause of the whirling motion imparted to the air can probably never be more than surmised even by those deeply versed in aërology and statics. How far the aqueous vortex, which is said to revolve always from right to left, (we have tried an experiment and found it so,) may be considered analogous to the aërial one, we shall not offer an opinion; but we had an opportunty a few months ago (26th of February, last year,) of observing a whirlwind upon a small scale, which we shall describe.

It formed a complete circle, as correctly so to appearance, as if the outline of the periphery had been struck by a pair of compasses. The gyration, from the moment the wind first impinged against the ground to its dispersion was, from right to left, which was distinctly traceable from the dust in its evolution giving the meteor a visible form; it was cone shaped, the dust ascending spirally to a point, where it was thrown off into the air. It was about 6 feet in diameter, and lasted 30 seconds, pursuing a devious course to the N.N.E., the wind at the time being at N.b. W.

Any thing obstructing the free action of a current of air, every body knows will turn it aside, and give it a curved course; and we may not unreasonably believe that two veins of wind blowing in particular directions may combine and produce a rotary motion. It is not easy to decide, whether either of these operations alone would afford a solution that might be considered unobjectionable. In the first instance, an obstruction to the direct descent (we consider the hurricane a descending whirlwind, not an ascending one,) of the gravitating aërial current can probably, only arise from its coming in contact with a stratum of air of different density, and this at some elevation, for, as the lower atmosphere into which it descends cannot be at a lower temperature, any difference in that particular would act directly contrary, and assist instead of retarding or opposing the action of gravity, an effect of the grand mysterious principle which retains all nature in one harmonious bond.

That the progressive motion of a hurricane is independent of the circumvolving current of air, seems to admit of doubt, as it is reasonable to conceive it to be a consequence of the rotary motion; and if so, in some measure connected with the wind. That the impetus imparted to the meteor may be occasioned by the powerful action of violent wind sweeping round a centre, appears to be a rational conclusion, but that the direction of the course should generally be to the N.W., is, a curious circumstance still left for investigation.

If we were merely to judge from the direction of the rotation, should we not be apt to consider, that from the propulsive motion, if that guided it, the course of the storm would be to the west, or even southerly of that point?

We may remark that, although the N.W. direction has been traced, in the majority of cases investigated by Mr Redfield, yet no one knows the actual place of origin of any individual storm, or what direction it NO. 1.-VOL. XVII.

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may take, when it received its first impulse. If, however, we should be warranted in drawing a conclusion from the first known direction, taken by the typhoon, which is a similar phenomenon, we would say that, the first course of the hurricane is to the S.W.; and this would lead us to the variable latitudes as the place of origin of, at least many of, these progressive tempests.

The perennial wind does not appear to have any influence on the course pursued by the hurricane, as taking W.S.W. as the general direction of the former, it would strike the meteor obliquely on the posterior verge, and did it affect the latter, we should expect to find it following a pretty uniform path between S. W. and W. May we, therefore, not consider that the course of the hurricane is governed by some principle more powerful than the trade-wind, or the rotation of the wind of the storm itself?

We may be allowed to dissent, without it being expected that we should offer a cause, from the opinion that the orbital, or diurnal motions of the earth have any influence in this, or indeed in any case, except those of the succession of night and day, and the seasons. The tremendous velocity, astounding even in contemplation, of the one, and the extreme regularity of the other, leaving every other consideration aside, would seem sufficient to negative such an opinion, yet we have seen it stated that the flight of birds is effected by the rotation of the earth. The sweep of the hurricane to the northward is curious, as it recedes from a rarefied air to one considerably denser, the course sometimes, being ultimately reversed from that pursued near the islands. There can be no effect without a cause; hence the question.-What power imparts this peculiar curve, so generally pursued, to these meteors? is probable, that, those storms which touch the Florida stream, may be afterwards guided by it; yet it is true, that some have followed the same curvilinear course, to the eastward of that stream; and undoubtedly the set or flow of the waters in an earlier stage of their progress, would not incline them to the N.W., but to the west or southward of that point.

It

As a portion of the route of these storms lies along the continental line, we might at first consider, that, but for the intervention of the land, they would pursue a direct course across the Pacific, and so on towards the Indian Ocean; but, it appears that, although many hurricanes follow the line of the American continent, some have reached the land, and swept away, no one knows where.

The remark of Colonel Capper, that hurricanes were unknown in the great ocean, has been disapproved by Capt. Kotzebue, who ascertained that, at Radack Island, in 10° N., and 190° W., hurricanes from S.W., of great violence, sometimes occur in September and October; and the natives always anticipate with dread, the recurrence of those

months.

These tempests are probably similar to those of the West Indies, and the remark of the natives, that the wind comes from the S.W., may be considered as referring merely to the crisis, or nearest approach of the centre of the storm to the island; at which time, the wind would be