1024 Third Memoir with reference to [No. 106. 



any correct information on that head, further than that it fell two-tenths 

 the day previous to the gale. 



,. 29th April, 1840. At midnight, winds easterly, with light passing squalls. 

 Outer Floating Light bearing EbN. 6 a.m. Wind easterly. Being now to the 

 eastward of the Western Sea Reef, breeze increasing with heavy appear- 

 ance to windward. Pilot apprehensive of bad weather, recommended stand- 

 ing to sea; stood to the South-eastward. Noon, winds ENE. blowing very 

 hard and sea rising, p.m. winds ENE. increasing to a gale. Midnight, 

 ditto, blowing a hard gale and heavy sea. 



30/A April. 6 a.m. Ditto as before, blowing with violence, and squalls with 

 rain. Noon, ditto weather ; shipping much water on deck ; soundings in 

 62 fathoms. 6 p.m. wind east with heavy appearance to the south-eastward, 

 with occasional heavy rain and hard squalls. Midnight, wind SE. with 

 increased violence, now blowing with great fury. Our sails were blown out 

 of the bolt ropes. A cross turbulent sea rising in pyramids, and breaking over 

 the vessel, while the force of the wind depressed her lee bulwarks under water* 

 Soundings in 45 fathoms. 



\st May, 6 a.m. Wind veering southerly, still blowing with fury and a 

 great sea. 8 a.m. Wind SW. rather more moderate. Soundings in 20 

 fathoms. Wore to the Eastward. Noon, wind SW., gale abating. Found 

 by Obs. that our situation is 15 miles to the southward of False Point in 

 22 fathoms ; bore up for the river. 



The two days previous to the gale, we had the wind from the South- 

 eastward, light, with hazy weather, hot and sultry. 



The gale commenced from the North-eastward, veering to the Eastward 

 and South-eastward, at which point it blew with the greatest violence, and 

 began to break up soon after it reached the South-west point. 



During the gale the heaviest appearance of the sky was to the SE. and 

 Southward. The upper clouds appearing to move N. and NW.f even 

 while the wind was NE. 



Extract from the Log of the H. C. F. L. V. ^^ Beacon," C. Hudson, Commander. 

 April 29th, 1840. — a.m. Fresh SE. breeze and cloudy. 4 a.m. Breeze in- 

 •creasing ; veering to ESE. cloudy unsettled weather. Daylight, increasing 

 breezes at ESE. and cloudy unsettled weather, heavy sea. 8 a.m. Fresh 

 breezes at Eastward, cloudy unsettled weather. Noon, strong breezes at East, 

 veering to NE. with heavy squalls of wind and rain, threatening appearance. 

 Noon to 4 P.M. blowing in heavy gusts from E. to NE. and ENE. heavy 



* This is an instance of the possibility alluded to in p. 46 of ray first Memoir, (p 645 

 Journal As. Soc. for August 1839. ) If the shift of wind had been sudden, the vessel would 

 have been laid down against the whole fury of the waves, 



t This is somewhat equivocal, for it may mean to the N. and NW. or from the 

 N. and NW. The observation is nevertheless important. 



