Considerable damage has been suffered by many houses, but certainly much less than was generally expected to result from a typhoon. We are sorry the same statement cannot apply to the shipping, among which the loss both of life and property has been truly appalling.

STORMS OF THE ATLANTIC.

THE utility and importance of understanding the laws which govern our tempests are well exemplified in the following letter, received from Messrs. Blunt, from an intelligent officer in the navy. It relates to one of the violent gales of the present season, now understood to be the same hurricane which visited Antigua on the 22nd of August.

Boston, September 15th, 1848.

The U.S. ship Marion, bound from Gibraltar to Boston, at 8 o'clock, Friday evening, September 1st, was in lat. 42° 40′ N., and long. 42° W., under royals, with a fine steady breeze from the south, the sky perfectly clear, and the barometer standing at 29.95. It was, however, observed that the swell, which was considerable, was setting from the S. W. At 10 o'clock, P.M., the wind increasing, it became necessary to shorten sail, until, at midnight, the top-gallant sails, the main-sail, jib and spanker had been furled, and three reefs successively taken in the top-sails. At this time the barometer stood 29.85, with the sky still free from clouds of any description. At 2 A.M., September 2nd, the wind had increased, when the top-sails were close reefed; the ship, however, continued on her course, the clouds now commenced rising in the S. W., and scudding rapidly in a north east direction. At 4 A.M., the barometer 29.80.

At daylight, there was every appearance of a strong gale, clouds in different strata were flying in different directions, the sea running higher and higher, and the barometer gradually falling. The ship was hove to on the larboard tack, under close reefed fore-sail, top-sails, main-trysail, mizen-stormspanker, and fore-storm staysail; head up to W.S. W., and off to west; the wind, consequently, at this period of the gale, was about S.S.E. [S.E. as corrected for variation.] At 8 A.M., it commenced raining, while the gale appeared on the increase, and during the forenoon, as there was every indication of its continuance, the ship was made as snug" as possible, by sending down light yards, housing top-gallant masts, and furling the topsails.

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At noon, (Saturday, September 2nd, lat. 42° 53', long. 43° 40',) the barometer stood 29.25, while the gale appeared to be gaining additional force from occasional squalls of wind and rain. At 12h. 30m. however, much to our surprise, the wind died completely away. The weather assumed a more favourable appearance, and the ship was left entirely without steerage way, and at the mercy of a most tremendous sea. This condition of things lasted about thirty minutes, during which time the barometer fell from 29.25, to 29.05, and then rapidly to its alarming minimum of 28.65.

At this time, a light air from the northward, enabled the ship to get her head around to southward and eastward, and a bank now rising in the N.W., gave evidence of a wind from that quarter; the main spencer was scarcely brailed up and the storm-spanker lowered, when the most terrific squall from the last mentioned direction struck us abaft the larboard beam, forcing the ship over until her lee quarter boat filled; the helm was of course immediately

put a-weather. The fore-storm-staysail was split by the first burst of this second and enlarged edition of our gale, but fortunately the fore-sail held, and through its influence the ship paid-off before the wind, in which position she was kept from 1h. 30m. till 4 P.M, scudding before it with an almost inconceivable velocity. At first, the ship had to meet the sea running from SE., caused by the former direction of the wind, and right nobly did she perform her task, once or twice, indeed, burying her bowsprit, and flooding her forecastle, but as often rising to her work with a buoyancy which fully sustained her character as an excellent sea vessel.

The force of the N.W. gale, however, soon brought a swell from that direction, which overpowered the old one; and thereafter we had the gale and the sea directly aft, while both one and the other seemed to rage with irresistable violence. Nothing was discernible fifty yards from the ship; the force of the wind rendered it impossible to stand upright in any exposed situation, and its terrific howlings drowned any efforts of the human voice, and thus it was providential that the ship was in the best possible condition to receive it.

As I have before mentioned, at 12h. 30m. the barometer stood at 28.65, and from this moment it commenced ascending steadily until at 3h. 30m. P.M., it stood again at 29.25, at which time we had evidently received the force of the storm. At 4h. 30m., barometer 29 70, when the wind had sufficiently abated to bring to on the starboard tack, under storm-sails. Through the following night the weather gradually improved, until about 7 o'clock on Sunday morning, we had comparatively a smooth sea, a light northerly breeze, and the barometer at 30.20, when all sail was made, and we again pointed her head as near homeward as possible; and felt that we had survived a gale whose violence the oldest seaman in the Marion declared they had never seen equalled.

I would not trouble you, gentlemen, with this imperfect account of a September gale, had I not been led in some degree to anticipate its approach, and subsequent direction from a previous and recent perusal of Redfield's theory of storms in your Coast Pilot. I will refer you to the 9th section on the 668th page of this work. You will have observed that we had the wind at S.S.E., accompanied latterly by rain, with a constant decline in the mercury of the barometer; this and the lull which then so suddenly ensued, led us to infer that we were in the "central portions" of the track of a storm, and consequently, to anticipate the most probable direction of the wind and its force; for which reason no more sail was made during the calmn; and most fortunately indeed, for such seemed to me the violence of the gale, that had there been any more canvass, the masts must have gone by the board, or still more lamentable consequences have followed.

As Mr. Redfield had foretold, the wind came from the N.W. quarter, and for three hours blew rather with the peculiar fury of a hurricane, than the ordinary force of a gale; during which, in perfect accordance with the theory the barometer continued rising until it reached the former starting point 29.95. While yet blowing from the south-eastward, a "shore-going" bird of the snipe species, put on board of us in distress; at this time the nearest land was 500 miles distant in a northerly direction.

So strong and complete an illustration of a theory which evinces the deepest research, proves how beneficial are the studies of the philosopher in his closet to the practical navigator of the ocean; and while we can but express our gratitude to Mr. Redfield, for having learned from his theory that, which we were ignorant of from experience; we also most sincerely hope that all "homeward bound," like the Marion, have been enabled, from either one cause or the other, to escape with the same impunity. The limits of my

sheet forbid any apology for the infliction of this letter, but incidents as individually unimportant have gone to make up the sum of practical information contained in your valuable work; and thus, I hope that this also will be suffered to increase the stock of knowledge, as a single drop adds to the waters of the ocean.

R. W. SHUFEldt,

Your obedient Servant,

Acting-Master, U.S. ship Marion.

To Messrs. E. & G. W. Blunt.

Remarks on the above by Mr. Redfield.

The case exhibited in the foregoing letter, is one of the many in which our homeward-bound ships have run directly into the heart of a gale, or hurricane. It is always gratifying, however, to find that my attempted elucidations of these storms, and of the laws which govern them, as found in the American Coast Pilot, and elsewhere, have contributed in any degree to the safety of navigation. I may say, also, that these favourable results have been owing not so much to "studies in the closet" as to a direct investigation of the observations and experience of mariners and others, by carefully collecting and comparing such observations in their true geographical and consecutive relations.

Since I first brought this practical view of storms to public notice, several able inquirers have entered upon a similar course of investigation; such as Col Reid, Mr. Milne, Mr. Piddington, and Dr. Thom; and their inquiries in various parts of the world, have led to similar results. In consequence of these labours, many valuable vessels have been saved from hazard and misfortune, and it has been conclusively shown that many others have received serious injury, or have been wholy lost, for want of suitable attention to the established laws which govern the great tempests.

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A useful work on this subject by Mr. Piddington, of Calcutta, entitled "The Sailor's Horn Book for the Law of Storms in all Parts of the World," is now published by John Wiley, New York, which I doubt not will prove great benefit to navigation. Col. Reid's work, entitled "An Attempt to Develope the Law of Storms," and Dr. Thom's, " On the Nature and Courses of Storms in the Indian Ocean, south of the Equator," both published in London, have been highly and justly commended; but, are not as well known to our navigators as a due regard to their interests and the credit of their profession would seem to require.

It is due to the interest of navigation to state, that if the winds in our great storms were directed to the centre of the gale, in the manner which has been represented by some, then when the Marion's gale began blowing from S.S.E., its calm centre or axis would already have been passing to the northward of the ship, while the latter in pursuing her westerly course would soon, instead of running into the heart of the gale, have been found depart. ing most rapidly from it, and could have been in no danger whatever. If, to avoid this obvious conclusion, it shall be said that the storm was moving towards the south-east, such an allegation will prove wholly unfounded; for, from the Bahamas and coast of Florida, where this storm raged, between the 27th and 29th of August, it has been traced directly to the parallel in which it was encountered by the Marion and other vessels, where its direction of progress was about E.N.E. Like conditions will also hold true, as regards every tempest of which I have obtained knowledge.

I would take this occasion to caution our ship-masters against the hazards of heaving-to on the larboard tack, or of pushing to the westward, when in the southerly side of these gales. In these latitudes, when the fall of the barometer has given sufficient warning of the strength of the approaching tempest, the ship should be brought to on the starboard tack, (unless it is deemed necessary to run out of the gale to the S.E,) for, on this tack the ship will come up to the sea as the wind veers to the westward, and the heart of the gale will be avoided*. In the northerly side of the gale, if the ship is brought to, it should be on the starboard tack; for the changes of wind will be in the opposite direction. Scores of instances can be given of the value and necessity of these rules, which are founded on the actual progression and rotation of the storms. W. C. REDField.

NAUTICAL NOTICES.

The Commissioners of Northern Lighthouses hereby give notice that, in the course of the past season they have erected Beacons, and moored Buoys on various parts of the coast; the position and appearance of which are specified by the Engineer to the Board, as follows:

MORAY FRITH DISTRICT.-Whiteness Buoy, on North edge of Bank, East of Fort George.-12 feet, Buoy with conical top, Red, 8 fathoms. Broomhill Farmhouse, at foot of wood on hill, above Rosemarkie, in line with Rosemarkie Manse-bearing W.b.N. W. Buoy on West end of Riff Bankbearing W.N.W. W. Fairway Mast Buoy, on East end of Riff Bankbearing E.N.E. N. Notch, on the Western slope of Ord Hill, in line with clump of poplar trees at Dumbie Farmhouse-bearing S.S.E. & S.

N.B.-The Buoy has been substituted for the Beacon formerly advertised. ORKNEY DISTRICT. Crockness Shoal Buoy, Longhope.-7 feet Buoy, Black, 3 fathoms. Crockness Mortella Tower, in line with North end of a cottage near it-bearing N.W.b.N. South Point of Fara Isle, in line with Hollow, at West end of Wydeford Hill-bearing N.E. E. West end of Switha Isle, S.S.ES. East side of Hackness Mortella Tower, in line with angle of Stone Fence-bearing S. E. Manse of Walls, in line with cottage at Ship's Watering Place-bearing W.S. W. & S.

Nevaholm Beacon, off Panhope, Flota Isle.-Cone of iron plates, with cornice on top, Black, dry at low water. Hoxahead, South Ronaldsay-bearing S.b.W.W. Stangahead, Flota-bearing S.W.b.W. Calf of Flota-bearing N.N.W W. Spire of St. Magnus' Cathedral Church, Kirkwall-bearing N.E. Hundahead, off Burra-bearing E. & S.

The Grinds Buoy, off Hunda Isle.-8 feet Buoy, Black, 5 fathoms. High water mark, North end of Hunda Isle, in line with Ware Bank's Farmhouses, in Burra Isle-bearing E.b.S. § S. West end of T. Laughton's House, in line with East end of Park Cottage-bearing S.E. Hoxa Head-bearing S.W.b.S.W. Nevaholm Beacon-bearing W.b.S. W. Rona Head, in line with black cottage in Flota Isle-bearing W. N. Houton House, in line with Hollow on Hill behind it-bearing N.W.b.N. N. St. Magnus' Cathedral Church, Kirkwall-bearing N.E. 4 N. Lippa Rock Buoy, in Water Sound. 8 feet Buoy, Black, 3 fathoms. Gable of Brechen's Cottage on hill, in line with Quoy's Bank Cottage on

See a short article published by Mr. G. W. Blunt, on "heaving-to."

shore, in South Ronaldsay-bearing W. N. Flagstaff on Cara Storehousebearing N.W.b. W. Eastern Chimney of Scarpoe Cottage, in Burra-bearing N.E. N. Isle of Horse of Copinsha-bearing E. & N. East Chimney of Romney Cottage, in South Ronaldsay-bearing S.

N.B. The Buoy lies on the south side of the Rock. Glimsholme Sherry Beacon, in Holm Sound. Pyramid of iron pillars, with cylindric open cage, Red, dry at low water. Seaward Beacon, Pict's Burying Ground, Laman Isle-bearing N.N.E. E. Roseness Cairn-bearing S.E.b.E. S. East Chimney, Northfield Farm-bearing S. W. East end of Cooperage House, at Ware Banks, Isle of Burra-bearing S.W.b.W. W. Moncrieff Farmhouse, Houton-bearing N.W.b.W. § N.

N.B.- Glimsholme Skerry extends about a cable's length and a half to the East of the Beacon.

Cubsay Rock Buoy, in Holm Sound.-7 feet Buoy, Black, 3 fathoms. East end of Northfield Farmhouse; bearing W. N. Glimsholme Skerry Beacon-bearing N.W.b. W. W Secession Church of Holme, in line with East end of Vigo Farmhouse-bearing N.b. E. & N. West end of Holme Manse-bearing E. & N. Roseness Point-bearing S.S. E. S.

Peter's Skerries Buoy, Houton.-7 feet Buoy, Black, 3 fathoms. Orry Kirk Farmhouse, North end, in line with Scaradale Farmhouse-bearing E. Farmhouse in Hoy, its own length clear of Greenhead Point-bearing S.S.W.S. Mrs. Polloxfen's House, near Stromness-bearing N. W. Houton Head-bearing S.S.E. † E.

Stromness Harbour Buoy.-6 feet Buoy, Black, 3 fathoms. Window in old windmill on Holme of Stromness-bearing E. N. Cottage on Graemsay Isle, in line with Sandside House-bearing S. W. Kame of Hoy-bearing W. S. Stromuess Free Church Manse, in line with Stromness School House-bearing N. & W.

Langaskerry, off Shapinsha Isle, Buoy.-7 feet Buoy, Black, 4 fathoms. Cairn, on hill top in Shapinsha Isle-bearing S.E. S. St. Magnus Cathedral Church, Kirkwall-bearing S.S.W. W. House at base of Wydeford Hill, in centre-bearing S.W.b.W. W. Rendall Manse, in line with Breke House-bearing N.b. W W. South end of Egilsha Isle, in line with Ness of Gairsa-bearing N.E. N.

Sunk Rock in Otterswick Bay, Buoy.-7 feet Buoy, Black, 3 fathoms. West gable of Purgistor Farmhouse, in Sanda Isle, in line with East chimney of Wearon Cottage-bearing S. Saville Green Windmill-bearing S.W.b.W. W. Burness Windmill-bearing W.N.W W. Bridesness Point, North Ronaldsay Isle-bearing E.N.E. E. Roseness Windmill-bearing S.E b.S. S. Start Point Lighthouse-bearing S.E.

N.B.-The Fairway is on the East side of the Buoy.

ZETLAND DISTRICT.-North Shoal Entrance to Lerwick, Buoy.-7 feet Buoy, Black, 2 fathoms. End of Northness House, Mainland, in line with East end of Hillhead Farmhouse-bearing S.b. W. S. North end of Gremister House, in line with Booth of Gremister-bearing N.W. N. Hagan Fishing house, Bressay-bearing N.E. Ruined Booth of Ormister, in line with Bressay School-house-bearing S.E.b.S. S.

North Entrance to Balta Sound, Buoy.-7 feet Buoy, Black, 43 fathoms. Swenee Point-bearing E. N. E. † E. Sheepfold, in middle of Centre Hill of Balta-bearing S.S. E. & S. Survey-Cairn, in line with Scarpoe Cottages, in Unst Isle-bearing W. Midgarth House, in Unst-bearing N.W.b.N.N.

MINSH DISTRICT.- Skernamule Reef Beacon, off Fladdahuan Isle.Pyramid of iron pillars, with open cylindric cage, and a cross rising to the height of about 50 feet above high-water; Red, Rock dry at low-water. NO. 1.-VOL. XVIII.

G