76 WAVES OF THE SEA 



Waves on the South Pacific Ocean 



Leaving now that part of the Southern Ocean 

 which is on the routes from the Cape of Good 

 Hope to Australia and New Zealand, we will 

 examine records from the Cape Horn route from 

 New Zealand to Europe, which touches higher 

 latitudes . 



The following observations for height were given 

 me by Mr. G. T. Ogilvie. He came home (east- 

 bound) by this route in 1880 on a i,3oo-ton ship, 

 with a length of 230 feet. Whenever it blew hard 

 he used to get into the mizzen rigging and sight 

 on to the horizon from various heights. Near Cape 

 Horn, and therefore more than 53 S. of the 

 Equator, in a full gale blowing from about SW., 

 he estimated the highest wave as 2 feet above 

 his plane of observation, which, on the Captain's 

 estimate, was then 40 feet above the water-line, 

 making a total wave-height of 42 feet. Waves 

 30 feet high were comparatively common. He 

 thought he saw one or two rollers not less than 

 45 feet in height from trough to crest, and possibly 

 48 feet, but attaches little weight to the figures 

 for the altitude of a wave apparently so far above 

 the line of sight. 



The following observations by the Hon. Ralph 



