d any, of the other phenomena of the weather. As far as it goes,
however, it is generally received in this country and Europe, and has
been adopted by Reed, Piddington, and others, who have written on the law
of storms. The position of Mr. Redfield is honorable to himself and his
country. Science and navigation are much indebted to him for his industry
in the collection of facts. Nevertheless, his theory is not in accordance
with my observation, and I deem it unsound. Although expressed disbelief
of the theory has been characterized as an "attack" upon its author, I
propose, with that _respect_ which is due to him, but with that _freedom_
and _independence_ which a search for _truth_ warrants, to examine it with
some particularity. It is a part of the subject, and I can not avoid it.

When the theory was first announced, I adopted it as probably true; and
being then engaged in a different profession, which took me much into the
open air by night and day, I watched with renewed care the clouds and
currents for evidence to confirm it. I discovered none; on the contrary, I
found much, very much, absolutely and utterly inconsistent with its truth.
The substance only of these observations will be adduced.

Mr. Redfield admits that the progression of our storms in the vicinity of
New York, is from some point between S. S. W. and W. S. W., to some point
between N. N. E. and E. N. E. According to my observation, except perhaps
in occasional autumnal gales, they are not often, if ever, from S. of S.
W., and the great majority of them, including, I believe, all N. E.
storms, are between S. W. and W. S. W. Now, the card of Mr. Redfield,
moving over any place from any point between S. W. and W. S. W., calls for
a S. E. wind at its axis, an E. wind at its north front, and a S. wind at
its south front, and does not call _for a N. E. wind on its front at all,
except at the north extreme_, where it could _not continue for any
considerable period_.

[Illustration: Fig. 17.]

In relation to this, I observe, 1st. _About one-half of our N. E. storms,
including some of the most severe ones, not only set in N. E., but
continue in that quarter without veering at all, during the entire period
that the storm cloud is over us_; usually for twenty-four hours; not
unfrequently for forty-eight hours, sometimes for seventy-two or more
hours. This every one can observe for himself, and it can not, of course,
be reconciled with his theory.

2d