106 Storms in the Southern Hemisphere, 



in some measure, to elucidate a subject which has engaged a 

 share of your valuable attention, and which must be one of 

 much interest to all parties concerned with our mines. — I re- 

 main, &c. &c. William Francis. — The Fourteenth Annual 

 Beport of the Iloyal Cornwall Polytechnic Society ^ 1846. 



Storms in the Southern Hemisphere. 



A paragraph has lately appeared in many of the English 

 and American newspapers, stating, that a vessel called the 

 Charles Heddle, had scudded in circles during a storm for 

 several days. A description of this storm, with a chart of its 

 track, shewing also the manner in which the Charles Heddle 

 scudded in it, has now been published by Mr Piddington of 

 Calcutta, in his Thirteenth Memoir of the Law of Storms in 

 the Indian and China seas. 



The Charles Heddle is a brig belonging to the island of 

 Mauritius, commanded by Captain Finck, an able seaman. 

 The brig had been originally built as a slaver, and is a very 

 fast sailer. 



A copy of the log-book of the Charles Heddle, which was 

 in French, was sent by the master-attendant at Mauritius, 

 Captain Royer, to Mr Piddington at Calcutta ; and Mr Pid- 

 dington having procured the log-books of several other ves- 

 sels which encountered the same storm, has been enabled to 

 draw up a very instructive memoir. 



The Charles Heddle sailed on the 21st February 1845, 

 from the Mauritius, on a course nearly due north. Soon 

 afterwards the weather became thick all round. At night 

 the sea and wind gradually increased, and the vessel began 

 to labour greatly. At 9^' 30'^ P.M., the wind being at the 

 time SE., and having begun to blow very hard, the mainyard 

 went in two in the slings. The mizen and jib were taken in, 

 and the vessel put before the wind, scudding under her fore- 

 sail, fore-top- sail, and fore-top-mast stay-sail, until daylight. 

 Then were struck the main-top-sail yard, and the top-gallant 

 yard. At noon the fore- sail was close reefed, and the brig 



