On the Cyclones of the North Pacific Ocean. 21 



Art. n. — On tJie Cyclones or Typhoons of the North Pacific Ocean ; 

 with a Chart^ showing their Courses of Progression ; by W. C. 



Eedfield.* — With a Plate. 



The late expedition to Japan, under the command of Com- 

 modore Matliew C. Perry, lias served to increase our knowledge 

 of the Asiatic seas and the islands of the Pacific Ocean. Among 

 other valuable contributions, the meteorological observations, 

 made and obtained bj the officers of the squadron, which relate 

 to the tempestuous cyclones of the Western Pacific, have led to 

 the compilation of a memoir on these tempests, which accompa- 

 nies Commodore Perry's published account of the expedition. 

 The substance of this memoir, in a more condensed form, is here 

 submitted. 



Commodore Perry'* s Cyclone of July^ 1853. — The steamships 

 Susquehanna and Mississippi under the command of Commo- 

 dore Perry, left the Bay of Jeddo in Japan on the 17th of 

 July, 1858, and steered a southwesterly course, with the barom- 

 eter standing at 30 indies, which is much above its usual height 

 in summer in that region. This state of the barometer, as is 

 evident, was caused by the exterior w'uve of the great cyclone 

 whose center-path the track of the ships was gradually ap- 

 proaching. On the 18th the wind was at E. S.E. and the barom- 

 eter commenced falling, wliich was attended on the 19th by a 

 heavy swell from the southeast quarter, in lat. 31"^ 14' N., Ion. 

 135^ 03' E. ; the path of the cyclone's center being then at the 

 distance of five hundred and fifty miles, as now estimated. On 

 the 20th the cyclonic wind had veered to East, blowing with in- 

 creased force, and a ''very heavy sea." At 6 P.isr. the barometer 



to 



est 



Aft 



Miss 



N 



ter was very apparent, as appears by the master\s report. The 

 barometer of the Susquehanna at 9 a. m. of the 21st still stood 

 at 29 36; but from this time it continued to rise slowly, and the 

 strength of the gale was found to abate. On the 24:th the Mis- 

 sissippi was in lat. 26° 25', Ion. 128^ 10' E. (near to Loo Choo), 

 bar. at 29*60, and the wind of the cyclone had veered to E.S. 

 On the 24th, at Loo Choo, the wind had veered round to the 

 southward and the barometer rose to 29'74. On the 27th-28th it 

 reached 29*80, the usual height for July in that region. 



This article was prepared for the press shortly before the death of Mr. Redfield, 

 and was found in manuscript among his papers. As the last of a long seriet^ In this 

 Journal by one of the most active men of science in the country, it has an interest 

 independent of ita special merits. — Ei>& 



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