Prognostic signs of a Hurricane.
The native Carribees of St. Dominica and St. Vincent, from long observation, can with surprizing accuracy foretell the approach of the hurricane ten or twelve days before it arrives,—a circumstance of no small moment to inexperienced navigators.
All hurricanes, they observe, happen about the period of the lunations, particularly at full moon, and may be predicted from the following signs:
1st. The sun exhibits a blood-like redness.—The moon surrounded with a halo, the stars with a bur, and seem larger than usual.—The sky, towards the N. W. dark and gloomy.—Wells and deep caverns send forth a hollow sound.—The sea, an unusual rank odor.—Mists disappear on the tops of mountains—a calm succeeds—when on a sudden the hurricane bursts forth with incredible impetuosity, twists trees asunder, dismasts ships, and drives them a-shore, sometimes above twenty yards beyond the water-mark!
As soon as the wind veers from N. W. to E. or S. E. the hurricane ceases; yet, what is remarkable, the raging of the waves continues andeven increases in proportion to themomentumof the impulse already acquired, till at length, the tempest having spent its fury, the billows subside, and the sea gradually resumes its former tranquillity. Hence may be also understood, why the tide continues to flow at least forty-eight hours after the full and change; its altitude at Bristol often amounting to forty-seven feet, or upwards.
Besides tempests at sea, including hurricanes, thunder storms, and water-spouts, there are still other causes which too often produce shipwreck.
Sea-faring men, inured to hardships, and taught by example to despise dangers, are often totally regardless of forecast, and even of the necessary means of self-preservation. To unpardonable negligence, or fool-hardiness, therefore, rather than to unavoidable misfortune, may many of their disasters be justly imputed. To what else can be attributed the entire loss of the Royal George, and of the Haswell, with their respective companies? or of the late tremendous explosion of the La Coquille? and other still more recent disasters?
From the master down to the common tar, the samenonchallence, the same contempt of danger, frequently pervades the whole crew. Thus, when the master embarks on board a decayed leaky vessel unfit to bear stress of weather; when the sleepy pilot, dozing at the helm, runs the ship onsome noted rock or lee-shore; or, when the drunken sailor, with a lighted candle, carelessly approaches too near a cask of spirits, or gunpowder; what in the name of wonder can be expected but inevitable ruin! Under such management, can we be surprised that fatal accidents befal so many of our trading vessels, not only in long voyages, but even in making a short trip across the channel? It was by a very different conduct, guided by prudence and marked by unremitting attention, that Captain Cook, and other expert circum-navigators, performed their successful voyages round the globe; and that Captain Bligh, in an open boat amidst frequent storms, traversed the great Pacific Ocean.