95 



jected the accompanying chart, estimating the distance of 

 the cyclone centre at seventy miles. At 12, meridian, my 

 convictions were verified, but, to be certain, I reduced the 

 speed of the ship from ten knots to eight, as we were 

 increasing the force of the wind from hour to hour, up to 

 noon, showing our approach to the centre. From noon to 

 4 jj.m. the wind moderated, showing that the centre was 

 going away from us. Having the cyclone centre now 

 thoroughly estaljlished, I determined to make as much on 

 our course as possible, and gave all the sail the ship could 

 safely bear, viz., close-reefed topsails and close-reefed fore 

 sail. At 8 p.m. the storm centre had crossed our bow, and 

 was well to the northward ; but the chart will explain itself 

 better than any words of mine. I simply wish to show that 

 I made 255 miles on my course in a cyclone, whereas, if I 

 had not been convinced of the fact of its being a cyclone, I 

 would probably have hove to. The path of the centre of the 

 storm is not as well defined as some cyclones that occur in 

 the Northern Hemisphere, because the p»revailing winds 

 between New Zealand and Tasmania are from the westward ; 

 and when this cyclone centre bore at right angles to the 

 wind at 12 m. on the 10th, it came in contact with the 

 prevailing westerly wind, and the battle must have been 

 fierc*,*, but the west wind conquered and dispersed the 

 cyclone. This is simply a theory. I was told that cyclones 

 did not blow in this latitude, but I think they occur in almost 

 every quarter of the globe. This one was encountered about 

 mid- way between New Zealand and Tasmania, on the 10th 

 and 11th of November, 1874." 



