174 J. Eliot— r/te South-West Monsoon Storms [^o. 2, 



Tlie ship Kwang Tung, it may be remarked, passed, on the 7th 

 and 8th, over the area in which the disturbance was generated ; and 

 there is not the slightest indication in her log, or in the observations of 

 the neighbouring land stations, of the existence of any atmospheric whirl, 

 large or small, at that time, or previous to the 10th. The central 

 depression at noon on the 10th was very small, probably less than a tenth 

 of an inch, and the atmospheric whirl, although clearly established, was as 

 yet in an initial state. It, however, rapidly acquired increased energy 

 during the afternoon of the 10th, and the morning of the 11th. At noon 

 of the llth, there was a well-defined cyclonic disturbance with its centre 

 in Lat. 13^° N. and Long. 94^° E., the barometric depression at which 

 certainly exceeded '3". Strong winds were now blowing into it from 

 the south, and bringing up much vapour. During the succeeding 24 hours, 

 the centre moved to the north-westward through the channel separating 

 Diamond Island and Cape Negrais from the Andaman Islands, and 

 probably over the Coco Islands. Its centre, at noon on the 12th, was in 

 Lat. 15|° N. Long. 93° E. The disturbance was of small extent, as vessels 

 at distances of only 150 miles had light to moderate winds of force 3 to 5. 

 The Satara, Byculla, and Loanda, all of which were near the centre, 

 on the other hand, experienced squalls of terrific and hurricane force. 



Hence it was at that time a small but well-defined atmospheric 

 whirl or cyclonic disturbance. The winds and squalls near the centre 

 were of the most violent character, the sea excessively high and 

 dangerous, and the currents in the eastern quadrant considerable. 

 During the next 24 hours, it retained the same characteristics, but 

 moved very slowly to the north, so that, at noon, its centre was in 

 Lat. 16° 10' N. and Long. 93° E. The retardation of its motion was 

 evidently due to the resistance of the land and hills in the eastern 

 quadrant. The centre passed a few miles to the east of the Loanda 

 and the Byculla on the evening of the 12th and morning of the 13th. 

 The decrease in the indraught from the eastern quadrant due to the 

 action of the Burmese and Arakan coasts continued. The whirl began 

 to diminish in intensity, and also recurved slightly after noon of the 13th, 

 and passed to the north-north-eastward, thus approaching the Burmese 

 and Arakan coasts. On the morning of the 14th, it was much enfeebled. 

 The barometric depression was smaller in amount, the winds weaker, 

 the rainfall more diffuse and less localised, and the sea less violent. 

 Moreover, the directions of the winds were so irregular over the area of 

 barometric depression as to suggest the existence of several imperfect 

 and feeble vortices, rather than of one large and well-defined whirl. 

 The centre of the depression was in the neighbourhood of Akyab on the 

 morning of the 14th. The land observations at 4 p. m. of that day 



