54^ Voyage of the Novara. 



central point of the storm. About 11 p.m. the clouds sud- 

 denly lifted on S. S.E., the liorlzon began to widen; there 

 was no longer a doubt that the worst was over. 



At dawn on the 20th tlie masts and cordage showed a 

 thick incrustation of salt, thus giving unmistakable evidence 

 of the great height to which the spray had been driven. 

 The wind was now W. S. W., and the barometer had risen to 

 2 9°. 5, so that we had now merely an ordinary gale to deal 

 with, and miglit look upon the cyclone as expended. Science 

 had indicated the method of evading the centre of the circular 

 storm, and even of making the very hurricane subservient to 

 our ends in driving us along our destined course ! 



At 8 A.M. the sun began to be visible by fits and starts, 

 long enough, however, to permit us to make an occasional 

 observation. According to this we were only one mile out 

 of our position by dead-reckoning. During the 24 hours, 

 inclusive of the period during which we lay to, we had run 

 218 miles in a general direction of S. E. by E. During the 

 afternoon the sky cleared. The sea was still high, but tlie 

 atmosphere gradually became clearer and more transparent, 

 till by sun-down even the large banks of clouds on the N. E. 

 which continued to mark the centre of tlie cyclone had en- 

 tirely disappeared. The Novara during this tremendous 

 storm had proved herself a thorough sea-boat, nor was there 

 any particular damage noticeable on the occasion of the care- 

 ful inspection to which her sails, masts, and rigging were 

 subjected, immediately that the weather became more favour- 



