On the Cyclones of the North Pacific Ocean. 37 



Badah Islands. — These islands are scattered between G° and 

 11'' north latitude, and Ion. 168^ to 178° K Capt. Kotzebue 

 ascertained that hurricanes of great violence sometimes occur, in 

 September and October; and the natives always anticipate with 

 dread the recurrence of those months. 



The Japan*s Typhoon, — In December 1882, the Japan, a new 

 shipj encountered a severe hurricane in lat. 13° N., longitude 

 about 160° west. This position is nearly on the meridian of the 

 most western of the Sandwich Islands. 



T/ie iSandwich Islands.- — ^At the Sandwich Islands, lat. 19^ to 

 to 22° N., Ion. 155° to 160° W., the cyclones which occur are 

 not commonly of great severity ; although, the native huts are 

 sometimes unroofed or destroyed. The Icona^ or southerly wind, 



part 



ru 



find their center-path northward of the islands, or which com- 

 plete their recurvation in that region. The easterly gales, which 

 accord nearly with the trade wind in their direction, indicate an 

 axis-path which lies southward of the islands. The actual i)Yes- 

 ence, or influence of a cj'clone, may commonly be determined 

 by the indicative oscillations of the barometer. 



The absence of intense violence, in any of the cyclones which 

 visit this group, may possibly be due to their geographical posi- 

 tion. But it IS equally probable, that this qualified exemption 



central 



great 



of Hawaii, the most southeastern of these islands. For the group 

 lies in almost a direct line, which is parallel to the ordinary 



course 



^, from the sum- 



mit of Mauna Kea to the center of Kauai, N. 61° west. A cy- 

 clonic vortex, if moving previously on this line, would be dis- 

 placed by the eastern angle of Hawaii ; which island has an area 

 of nearly four thousand square miles, a portion of which rises 

 far above the upper horizon of the cyclones ; and at two points 

 reaches an elevation of nearly fourteen thousand feet. The pro- 

 tection, or partial diversion of course thus occasioned, must ex- 

 tend to the nigh but smaller islands which lie to the leeward in 

 the same track. 



Cyclone of the Lark. — The Lark, an American barque from 

 Canton for Valparaiso, met a severe gale on the 23d of Sept- 

 1843, in lat. 15*^ N., Ion. 138^ 40' west. The Lark also encoun- 

 tered a violent typhoon at an earlier date, when off the island of 

 Formosa. 



Oychnes of Uie Eastern Pacific. — For the sake of brevity, 



1 pass over several acco 

 been found between the 



southern 



coasts of Mexico and'Central America. The occurrence 



f 



