24 On the Cyclones of the Noi'th Pacific Ocean. 



not appear tliat the Caprice was at any time nearer to tlie axis 

 of the cyclone than about one hundred and fifty miles. The 

 gradual influence of the cyclone upon her barometer, from the 

 time of sailing, was unusually steady. The entire range of the 

 instrument during a period of seventy-two hours, from 3 A. M. 

 of 22d to the same hour of 25th, while in the heart of the storm, 

 was scarcely more than one-tenth of an inch, or between 29*27 

 and 29'16 inches. Its greatest depression occurred near 1 P. M. 

 of the 24th, and is deemed to indicate the nearest approach of 

 the cyclonic axis, as it passed the ship. Its nearest approach to 

 the Suppl}', at Loo Choo, appears to have been near 3 P. M. of 

 22d; which is earlier by seventy hours. Hence, the rate of the 

 advance of the cyclone during this period, for the distance of 

 little more than two hundred nautical miles, appears only equal 

 to three nautical miles per hour. At an earlier period the advance 

 of the storm may have been more rapid ; as has been seen in 

 other cyclones when distant from their places of recurvation. 



The absence of any winds except those from the eastern hoard 

 with the several ships whose reports we have noticed, would 

 probably lead many navigators and meteorologists to infer that 

 this gale was not a cyclone, but a wind moving in the manner of 

 a general current; and such inference might seem confirmed on 

 finding that this peculiarity of direction occurred over a region 

 nearly equal to ten degrees of latitude. But the characteristic 

 movements of the barometer and the coincident cyclonic changes 

 in the direction and strength of the winds from that side of the 

 meridian, as also the earlier action and subsequent changes of 

 the heavy swell, which often ran on a course different from the 

 incumbent wind, as found at the several ships, are sufiicient 

 proofs of the rotary character of this extensive gale. Moreover, 

 the steady direction and velocity of the gale as felt by the steam- 

 ships on the 20th and 21st was such that if moving directly on- 

 w^ard in the manner of a current it should have reached the U. S. 

 ship Caprice, and the coast of China, in about eight hours: and 

 yet, some fifty or sixty hours are found to have elapsed, ere this 

 amount of progress was accomplished. 



But while the cyclonic character of this gale is thus fully es- 

 tablished, it will doubtless gratify our readers to know that we 

 have one series of direct observations of the northerly and west- 

 erly winds of the cyclone, on the left side of the path of its axis, 

 and hence veering inversely, through the west and south. These 

 observations were procured by Lieut. William L. Maury from 

 the log-book of the British schooner Earnest, which encountered 

 the gale, in sailing from Hong Kong towards Shanghai. 



This vessel was standing through the Formosa Channel when 

 she encountered the first winds of the cyclone, fromN.KAV^-, 



near lat. 25° 30^ K, Ion. 120^ 46' K, barometer down to 2940, 



