118 On the Law of Storms in the 
ceptibly abated. Sun shone out at 4 p.m., wind subsiding, 
and continued to abate till Sunday morning. ” 
Since the western half of the storm passed over the Camden 
in two days, and its centre moved to the south at the rate of 
200 miles daily, the diameter of the hurricane must have been 
500 miles at least. 
From p. 881, vol. 2, of Lieut. Wilkes’s narrative, we learn 
that, on the 29th February, there was a violent gale at the 
Bay of Islands, said by the Missionaries to have been the 
severest they had experienced, with perhaps the exception 
of one which took. place shortly after their arrival. Many 
vessels suffered great damage. The Tom, of Sag Harbour; 
which sailed a few days before, bound home, was obliged to 
put back in consequence of the damage received, and was con- 
demned as unseaworthy; as was also the Tuscan, an English 
whaler. The barque Nimrod arrived, having lost her top- 
mast. Several coasters were missing, supposed to have been 
lost. Most of the vessels lying off Kororarika dragged their 
anchors. The Harriet was driven ashore at Tipoona; she 
parted her cables during the night, and next morning was 
found a complete wreck: the crew barely escaped with their 
lives. On land, fences were carried away, houses and grounds 
deluged, wharves injured, and the extensive embankment of 
the Missionary establishment at Pahia nearly demolished. 
The tide rose six feet during the night of Saturday beyond 
its usual mark. This gale was experienced at the Thames, 
on board H.M.’s ship Herald, 140 miles to the south; also 
by the Flying Fish, off Cook’s Strait on the east ; and by the 
barque Achilles to the north. Mr. Hale was a passenger in 
the Achilles, and took barometrical observations and notes, 
from which it appears that the change took place at the two 
northern and two southern positions, in opposite directions, 
proving that the gale was a rotatory one, and that its centre 
