V^ ¥ 28 



and blew fresh until it suddenly veered round in a heavy 

 squall at 4 a.m. on the 8th, blowing so hard that it was 

 thought at one time even the close-reefed topsails would have 

 to be taken in. On the 9th steam was got up, in order to get 

 into harbor as soon as possible. The ship arrived at Hobart 

 Town on the afternoon of the 10th. During the height of 

 the gale on the 8th two of the men went overboard, and were 

 seen floating past the ship without there being the slightest 

 possibility of saving them. 



H.M.S.S. Cura9oa, Commodore Sir W. Wiseman, arrived 

 in the river from Auckland, New Zealand, a few hours after 

 the Falcon. Had variable winds until the 3rd of March ; 

 on the 4th a very strong gale came on from the N.E., which 

 suddenly shifted to the S.W. and lasted fifty-six hours. On 

 the 8th another very heavy gale came on from the S.W. and 

 lasted 26 hours, lat. 41° 23' S., long. 152° 15' E. During both 

 gales the ship had to be hove-to. 



The cutter Victoria, lying at anchor between Arch Island 

 and Three Hut Point, was struck by a heavy squall from the 

 westward, on the night of the 7th of March, by which she lost 

 her mast. 



The Ant left Port Albert at 3 p.m. on the 7th of March, and 

 had light N. and N.E. winds to Cape Paterson : at midnight a 

 fearful hurricane from the W.S.W. was experienced. Captain 

 King hove the vessel to, and at 8 a.m. the gale increased in 

 violence, the sea rising to an alarming height. Foresail and 

 mainsail carried away. This gale was described by all on 

 board to have been the worst they had ever experienced in 

 these latitudes. 



At Melbourne, between 11 and 12 o'clock p.m. on the 7th 

 March, the city was visited by a most severe gale of wind, 

 mainly from the N., but with occasional squalls of great 

 violence from every point of the compass in turn, driving 

 before them clouds of dust, which rendered it dangerous to 

 walk the streets. 



In Geelong many of the inhabitants sat up to see out the 

 storm. In the western suburbs dilapidated buildings gave 

 way to the force of the wind ; roofs were lifted from their 

 rafters and carried away, and several premises and many 

 chimneys were blown down. 



The Derwent left Launceston at 4 p.m. on the 7th March, 

 and Tamar Heads at 7 p.m., with light winds from N.W., and 

 thick rainy weather ; at 10 p.m. the wind began to freshen 

 until midnight, when it blew a heavy gale, which continued 

 with greater or less violence until noon on the 8th. During 

 the continuance of the gale the steamer was hove to for 

 several liours. 



