1841.] Fourth Memoir on the Law of Storms in India, 905 



it had reached it maximum depression of 28.70 Now we have 

 not, unfortunately, the London Thetis' Barometer for this moment, 

 but we may suppose this fall to have arisen from the near appulse 

 of the two tempests? There »i«z/ have been a point, midway between 

 them at which the barometrical depression arising from both storms may 

 have operated, though the winds were directly opposed. What this produ- 

 ced we know not. It might have been a calm, but it was quite as pro- 

 bably, a succession of awful gusts from every quarter of the compass 

 mixed with calms, (almost as dangerous in such weather,) much resembling 

 the sort of weather which every seaman has seen near the line, on the 

 coasts of Africa, or on those of Borneo, in violent thunder storms of long 

 duration ; but of course far mx)re violent, and with a most dangerous sea. 

 At noon of the 23rd, the London Thetis' storm having travelled on- 

 wards, as by the track, and the vessel having drifted the other way, she 

 has the wind at SW. and " some appearance of amendment," though 

 the Simpiesometer and Barometer are still at the lowest registered 

 depression. By 5 p. m. she could bear up, the storm, having veered 

 to South, and what is worthy of remark, we find that as she approaches 

 and crosses the track we have laid down for that of the centre of the 

 storm, she has then the " sea rising more than in the height of the gale," ! 

 which is some evidence that we are not far wrong. 



The Calcutta Thetis, which was now, providentially, lying to, had the 

 weather at noon of the 23rd terrific ; but towards midnight she has 

 fewer squalls, the wind veering to SSW. after that time, and to 

 South by daylight on the 24th. At noon, it fell so fast, that she 

 rolled away her mainmast, and was nearly foundering by her pumps 

 being destroyed by the fall of the mast.* 



She did not cross the previous track of her own storm after she bore 

 up, but that of the London Thetis' storm is close to her position at noon ; 

 and though the sea had had 24 hours to go down since the centre 

 passed, the latter portion of it, and that part of the sea of the Calcutta 

 Thetis' storm which reaches this point, may well have assisted to 

 produce this dangerous sea. 



I have thus shewn, I hope distinctly, and almost to a mathematical 



certainty, that there were two storms. From the logs of single ships, 



* This is worthy the attention of seamen and owners. The pumps, especially in small 

 vessels, seem placed to insure the most frequent occurrence possible, of this fatal ac- 

 cident ; and no doubt vessels have been frequently lost through it. 



