348 EXPEDITION TO JAPAN. 



the evening. On the 8th wind westward, and moderate ; latitude 37° 37', longitude 152° E., 

 p. M., the wind again passed to N.W., increasing in force ; weather cloudy, with rain. I have 

 no report from this ship for the 5th and 9th. 



The Mississippi, on the 5th, had the wind from N.E., veering to E.S.E. ; its force varying 

 ■between 4 and 6, and barometer falling from 30.11 to 30.04 at noon ; latitude 34° N., longitude 

 149° E. On the 6th, the wind gradually went to S.S.E., latitude 35° 21', longitude 151° 33' E. 

 At 9 p. m., the force of the gale had increased to 9 ; topsails close-reefed ; barometer had grad- 

 ually fallen from 30.02 to 29.71. 



October 7. — During first twelve hours the gale blew from S.S E., veering towards south ; 

 force, 7 to 8. '■'■ The square sails were taken in, and the ship hauled up to the S.E. to avoid 

 the center of the typhoon, which was evidently approaching from the S.W." At noon, barome- 

 ter had fallen to 29.39 ; gale increasing; latitude 35° 59' N., longitude 153° 47' E. At 1 p. m., gale 

 S. by W. 10 ; barometer 29.29. 2 p. m., S.S.W. 11 ; barometer 29.17, being its lowest. 3 p. m., 

 S.W. 12 ; barometer 29.21. From noon "until 4 p. M., the wind was blowing with the force 

 of a hurricane, in puffs, flattening the sea, and filling the air with spoon-drift, subsiding then 

 into a heavy gale." At 4 p. M., gale S.W. 11 ; barometer 29.27. 6 p. m., W.S.W. 10 ; ba- 

 rometer 29.45. 8 p. m., W. by S. 9 ; barometer 29.53. 10 p. m., west 7 ; barometer 29.60. 



On the 8th, gale at W.S.W, abating its force, and from 9 a. m. inclining southerly. At 

 noon barometer had risen to 29.71 ; latitude 35° 30' N., longitude 155° 11' E. ; p. m. the gale 

 passed to N.W., with increasing force, 7 to 8 ; midnight, barometer 29.91. 



October 9. — During first twelve hours the gale continued strong from N. W., 6 to 8, passing 

 northward. Noon, barometer 30.16 ; latitude 35° 40' N., longitude 157° 59' E. At 8 p. m. the 

 barometer reached its maximum, 30.30 ; wind round to N.E. quarter ; force, 6 ; which abated 

 on the 10th to an ordinary breeze. 



It is here apparent that both vessels were successively under the two right-hand quadrants of 

 the cyclone. It is alike obvious that the Southampton was nearer to its axis-path than the Mis- 

 sissippi, and yet had far less of its violence. This may, in part, be accounted for by the greatly 

 dilated and weakened condition of the interior portions of the cyclone. This dilated condition 

 is very common in the great cyclones while passing through the temperate latitudes, and may 

 have its chief origin in the region where the recurvation of the storm-path occurs. For, in the 

 change of course at this period, the winds of the eastern part of the cyclone have a much earlier 

 and shorter transit into the now inverted path of the temperate latitudes than the cyclonic 

 winds of its westerly side, which left to pursue a wider circuit. 



On the 23d of October the Mississippi arrived at the Sandwich Islands, where an account of 

 this "typhoon" was at that time published. While at these islands, an extract was procured, 

 by Lieutenant William L. Maury, from the log-book of the American whale-ship Greorge How- 

 land, which vessel encountered the gale near latitude 46° N., which there set in on the morning 

 of the 8th. See as follows : 



Friday, October 6. — Moderate breezes from N.W. ; course E. by S. ; latter part fresh from 

 W.N.W. ; latitude 46° 29', longitude 161° 09' E. 



October 7. — Wind fresh from W.N.W; latter part moderate breezes ; latitude 45° 46' N., 

 longitude 164° 43' E. [This, apparently, is the ending of a previous cyclone.] 



October 8. — Moderate breeze W.S.W. ; course E. \ S. At 8 a. m., the wind hauled to S.S.W., 

 and increased to a gale; latitude 46° 18' N., longitude 165°50' E. At 4p.m., wind east, [E.S.E. , 



