Page:Philosophical Transactions - Volume 096.djvu/291

 be taken from the sea horizon, although the sun was sufficiently clear; and in the whole time, the mercury never once stood so high as 30 inches, but was frequently below 29,70. I considered this to be the more extraordinary, as settled winds from the eastward, and especially from SE, had before made it rise and stand high upon this coast, almost universally, even when there was a considerable degree of haze. The direction of the south coast, beyond the Isle of St., and even abreast of it, was at that time unknown tome; but I then suspected, from this change in the barometer, that we should find the shore trending to the southward, which proved to be the case. The easterly winds, then, whilst they came off the sea, caused the mercury to rise upon the south coast; but in this instance that they came from off the land, they produced a contrary effect; but it is to be observed, that the most hazy part of the time, and that during which the mercury stood lowest, was two days that the wind kept almost constantly on the north side of west, more directly off the land: its height was then between 29,65 and 29,60.

The haze did not immediately clear away on the wind shifting to the westward; notwithstanding which, and that the new wind rose to a strong breeze, and was accompanied with squalls of rain, the mercury began to ascend, and had reached 29,95 when the squalls of wind and rain, were strongest; the direction of the wind being then from SSW. On its becoming moderate, between SSW and SSE, the mercury ascended to 30,14, and remained there as long as the; wind was southwardly.

5th. Going up the largest of the two inlets on the south coast, in March, we were favoured with fine fresh breezes