IT-A Professor C. Piazzi Smyth's 



deal of leeway to make up before overtaking the Americans in this 

 subject, which they have chosen for themselves. Perhaps it would 

 be as well not to compete against them in exactly the same course. 

 But there is another more limited subject which does not appear to 

 have attracted their attention yet, viz., " hurricane'^ charts, where 

 the track of every great whirlwind storm should be inserted with 

 particulars. Had such existed, one can hardly think that such a 

 disastrous encounter as that of the Pekin steamer with a Chinese 

 typhoon, described in the Illustrated London News, for December 7, 

 could well have occurred. 



The account there printed, was sent to the paper by the Secretary 

 of the steam company, as a most admirable instance of a typhoon 

 being withstood, and as a glorification of the vessel and its owners. 

 The captain, too, takes no small credit to himself, and imparts his 

 praise extensively to the engineer, and all the officers concerned. 



The vessel was on its voyage from Canton to the Straits, and 

 was in lat. N. 16^ 46', long. E. 110° 45'; the log-book describes 

 the falling of the barometer, and the rising of the wind and sea ; 

 and their portentous increase ; then there follow successive entries as 

 the night comes on, of the various sails which are blown away one 

 after the other, of the boats washed off, and of masts and ropes broken, 

 and of the utter consternation of the crew, who hide themselves in 

 their despair. At length the vessel is no longer able to make any pro- 

 gress against the mighty odds, and all the quasi vital force of her large 

 steam-engines, is employed merely to keep body and soul together ; 

 in keeping the vessel's head to the waves, and preventing her getting 

 into the trough of the sea. It is confessed, that had not the vessel 

 been a steamer ; or being a steamer, had it not been so admirably 

 strong and taught in every way, it must have foundered with all on 

 board ; at length the direction of the wind changes, the barometer 

 begins to rise, and by the morning the storm has passed. 



Now, it is doubtless extremely gratifying to hear, that Biitish 

 oak can withstand great roughness of weather, but was there any 

 necessity of exposing it to such a death struggle as this ? Not the 

 slightest. The barometer falling shewed the approach of the hurri- 

 cane, the direction of the wind shewed that the vessel was on the NW. 

 edge of the circle, and there was abundance of sea- room to sail away 

 northwards, where but a small space would have carried the ship 

 out of the storm"'s reach, and have allowed it to pass by. But 

 in;%tead of that, it sailed away southwards 68 miles, that is towards 

 the centre and most dangerous part of the storm, until compelled, 

 in spite of itself, to desist from so mad and headlong a career. 

 Fortunately, the centre was not reached, or probably the account 

 had never fissured in the Illustrated London News : but the 

 greatest danger was incurred, and actual losses experienced, to an 

 extent that would have furnished all the British navy with wind 

 charts. The change of the direction of the wind towards morning, 



