Stormy Voyage across the Atlantic. 331 



struck the ship about the latitude of the most northerly part 

 of Patagonia, so violent that had not the sails been taken 

 in with all despatch, the very masts must have been blown 

 out of the vessel, or at all events have sustained serious injury. 

 Notwithstanding her being short of upper sails, the frigate 

 lieeled over more at this time than at any other period 

 throughout the voyage. 



On 7tli and 8th June, the Novara encountered a severe tor- 

 nado, about the latitude of the mouth of the La Plata. A 

 violent wind, which blew from the N.N.E., on the 7th, hauled 

 round by N. and N.N.W. to W. S.W., and reached its greatest 

 power on the 8th, about 9 a.m., the wind being N.W. At 

 this moment the motion of the ship was so great, and she 

 laboured so heavily in the high short waves, that the boats on 

 her lee quarter were in imminent danger of being swept over- 

 board. By observations made it was found that she heeled 

 over 38° to starboard and 12° to port, so that the entire 

 amount of oscillation was 50°. 



Unfortunately one of the barometers got broke on this oc- 

 casion; the officer, while observing it, being precipitated 

 against it by a sudden roll of the ship. It was the most 

 trustworthy instrument on board, and, albeit near the end of 

 the voyage, it was not the less vexatious to have the series 

 of admirable observations made with this instrument suddenly 

 interrupted. 



The 11th June possessed an interest of its own for those 

 on board the Novara, as on that day she crossed the course 



