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THE LAST CRUISE OF THE CARNEGIE 



spout on the horizon. The fact that we were non-magnetic must 

 have had some bearing on their behavior. Although we saw a good 

 many of these "terrors of the deep," they acted as though we did 

 not exist. They did not bear down on us as they do in books, 

 but headed away from us as often as they approached. We did 

 not even keep our guns loaded! 



Light airs, squalls, and calms alternated for another week be- 

 fore we picked up a stiff breeze. This happened on September 

 10. It came with fury from a totally unexpected quarter, south- 



An Oily Calm in the Trade-wind Belt 



west. Rapid changes in direction and increasing force hinted 

 that there was trouble in the neighborhood. This rather took 

 us by surprise, although we had known from the start that we 

 were entering the Caribbean during hurricane-season. The short 

 disturbance was no doubt the beginning of that frightful hurricane 

 which three days later roared through the Mona Passage, de- 

 molished many of the West Indian towns, and razed buildings in 

 Florida. The wind did not reach violent force until it had passed 

 over the Windward Islands, and our barograph did not show any 



