By VICE-ADMIRAL Fitz-Roy, F.R.S.

AFTER an unusual continuance of stormy weather—remarkable even in the equinoctial period of our zone—it may interest some of the readers of the Life-boat Journal to hear a few of the general results deduced therefrom.

On the 28th of October there were such indications as induced us to warn all coasts then and on following days; the south of England and those of France being cautioned later. The evening was fine, and the warn- ing lights were in many places—including even Valentia—undervalued.

After midnight, there and elsewhere, the earliest violent storm broke over many places—in the west first, and thence it travelled eastward. From that time to the 4th of November, successive gales or storms were fully felt, not only over the British Islands, but over the western continent of Europe, including the Baltic, and in the Northern Mediterranean. All these atmospheric commotions had such a decided mutual likeness, that it is not the least surprising to find them adverted to as the same storm by some observers; while others, skilful and experienced 'like MR LOWE, of Nottingham), distinguished several, if not as many as seven cyclonic gales.

Evidently two great bodies of air, impelled to the north and to the south respectively, meeting in our temperate zone, as streams of fluid, caused eddies—which in their effects on our earth were storms or gales.

These main bodies—sometimes side by side on the earth's surface, sometimes superposed, have now nearly regained equilibrium —after many days' struggle,—and (on the 6th) the atmospheric currents are subsiding, with a high barometer and a prospect of some duration of fine weather, with moderate, if not strong northerly winds.

All our coasts, all the north and west coasts of France, and the west of Europe partially, were warned of these gales successively, in good time; with what result we cannot say, but may imagine. The ships that would otherwise bare sailed, and the timely local precautions that were adopted, tell no tale.

It is, however, remarkable that there have been so few casualties, comparatively speaking, along our sea-coasts, all through a time of very unusual storminess, during which the barometer in many places fell to near 28 inches at—or reduced to the mean sea level at half tide—sea level.

Internationally there is now much and regular meteorologic correspondence. From Rochefort and Lorient we receive telegrams as soon as from Ireland or Scotland— namely, at 10 o'clock each morning,—while our Irish, Scotch, and other notices arrive in Paris at the same hour daily.

We began our cautionary system with much reliance on western notices, or those from southward, or others from the north, enabling us to warn places' eastward, north, or south respectively; but now we generally succeed in warning even the furthest outposts; a proof of the accuracy of those principles—statical and dynamic, on which forecasts of weather are regularly published •for two days in advance.

That cautions are not always sent in due time to all places reached by our lines, is an inevitable consequence of insufficient acquaintance with our but recently studied subject, and of anxiety to avoid calling " wolf" unnecessarily.