142 Mr Rooke on remarkable Agitations of the 



cool. Therm. 74.5 ; the barometer had gradually fallen dur- 

 ing the four previous days, but this evening had again risen 

 to 30.06, at six o'clock, when the alarm was given that the 

 sea was retiring. The first recession was the greatest, some- 

 thing more than eight feet ; but being unprepared to make 

 observations at the moment, the exact fall was not measured. 

 The reefs surrounding the harbour were left dry, and the fish 

 aground were mostly dead. The sea quickly retm-ned, and in 

 twenty-eight minutes reached the height of an ordinary high 

 tide ; scarcely remaining stationary, it again receded and fell six 

 feet. This was repeated at intervals of twenty-eight minutes. 

 On the third rising it was four inches above ordinary high- 

 water mark, and fell again six feet four inches. After the 

 fourth rising, the length of time occupied by the rise and fall 

 varied, and the rise and fiill diminished gradually but not re- 

 gularly. At eleven p. m. the therm, stood at 74° ; barometer 

 30.04 ; wind freshening and frequent showers ; the ebb now 

 occupied twenty-six minutes, and the flow ten. At eleven, 30, it 

 became calm, with constant rain. Therm. 73.5 ; barometer, 

 30.03. The ebb and flow still continued occupying the same 

 space of time, but the rise and fall decreasing. This conti- 

 nued during the forenoon of the 8th. The rapidity with 

 which the water fell varied in diff'erent parts of the harboixr. 

 On the east side, the greatest rapidity noticed was six inches 

 in a minute ; but on the north, at one time during the third 

 recession, it fell twelve inches in thirty seconds. At no time 

 did the water rise higher than a common spring-tide ; but 

 the fall was about six feet below low water-mark. The 

 same occurrence is related to have taken place in 1819, when 

 the tide rose and fell thirteen times in the space of a few 

 hours. On neither occasion was there any perceptible motion 

 or trembling of the earth, or imusual appearance of the at- 

 mosphere. Since the above was written, distressing accounts 

 have been received from Maui, and Hawaii, of the damage 

 done to property and loss of life. On the leeward side of 

 Maui, the same rise and fall took place as at Hanolulu ; but on 

 the windward part of the Island, the sea retired about twenty 

 fathoms, and quickly returned in one gigantic wave, sweeping 

 every thing before it, — ^houses, trees, canoes, and every move- 



