OM | WET FROM
N. ED. | N. ED.
|
========================

Add one tenth for each hundred feet above the Sea.

* * *

LONG FORETOLD--LONG LAST,

SHORT NOTICE--SOON PAST.

* * *

FIRST RISE AFTER LOW,

FORETELLS STRONGER BLOW.

PREFACE.

Many persons have advocated placing barometers at exposed fishing
villages; and the Board of Trade has sanctioned the principle of some
assistance by Government to a limited extent, depending on the necessity
of each case, and other contingencies, such as the care, publicity, and
setting of the barometers.

It was thought advisable to substitute a few words on the scales of
these instruments in place of those usually engraved (which are not the
most suitable), and to compile brief and plain information respecting
the use of weather-glasses.

The following pages were prepared; but only the first few were intended
particularly for this purpose.

After writing these, it was suggested that some remarks might be added
for the benefit of many persons, especially young officers at sea, and
the suggestion was complied with; yet not so as to diminish the
portability of this compilation, or increase its price.

These remarks, derived from the combined observation, study, and
personal experience of various individuals, are in accordance,
generally, with the results obtained by eminent philosophers.

The works of Humboldt, Herschel, Dove, Sabine, Reid, Redfield, Espy, and
others, are appealed to in confirmation of this statement.

To obviate any charge of undue haste, or an insufficiently considered
plan--which may be fairly brought against many novelties--the following
testimony to the first published suggestion of such a measure is
submitted.

In the First Report of the Committee on Shipwrecks (1843), at pages 1,
2, 3, the following evidence was printed by order of the House of
Commons.

"I think that the neglect of the use of the barometer has led to the
loss of many ships. From a want of attention to the barometer, they
have either closed the land (if at sea), or have put to sea (being
in harbour in safety) at improper times; and in consequence of such
want of precaution the ships have been lost, owing to bad weather
coming on suddenly, which might have been avoided had proper
attention been paid to that very simple instrument. While alluding
to the use