676 A Sixth Memoir on the Law of Storms in India. [No. 127. 



for me, as I intended to go out by the Bashee Passage. I therefore 

 made sail under close-reefed top-sails and courses, steering East about 

 six miles per hour till noon, when we observed, in latitude 21° 7' N., 

 and estimated longitude 113° 20' E., a very heavy sea running, but 

 the brig going along nobly. About 1 p. m. a tremendous gust of wind 

 came on from the S. W., which laid the brig on her beam ends ; I for- 

 tunately got the fore-top-sail, fore-sail and main-sail in before it 

 struck us, but the main-top-sail was shivered to pieces ; it then blew a 

 perfect tyfoon, with a sea which I cannot describe striking us in all 

 quarters ; the bulwarks were very soon washed away on both sides, 

 and a number of articles washed off the decks ; some of the tremendous 

 seas striking us under the counter and abaft, I began to be afraid 

 that if it continued long, some of these seas would stave the counter in, 

 or start some of the butt-ends abaft. Still the good old brig, although 

 lying half the deck in the water, and the awful seas breaking over 

 her, made very little water indeed. The Barometer was now 28.50. 

 About 6 p. m. still blowing I may say a hurricane, and the sea in 

 pyramids about us, I found the brig making more water, but nothing 

 to be alarmed at. At midnight the same kind of weather, and found 

 she was making more water. Immediately set to both pumps, and 

 continued till 4 a. m., the brig gaining on us fast. At 4 a. m., found 

 there was four feet water in the hold ; immediately made what pos- 

 sible sail we could, for the purpose of running back to Macao or in 

 with the Coast, as I expected we could not be far from it, supposing, 

 from the sudden leak that the brig must be stove or have started a 

 butt. I got the fore-top-sail on her and fore-sail, steering N. E., 

 when she had gone about five miles, both pumps going, she came up 

 in the wind against the helm, fell over her side, and filled with water 

 immediately ; we had hardly time to save ourselves by laying hold of 

 the main rigging. Mr. Hays, the Chief Officer, and some of the men, 

 were cutting the lashing of the long boat and of the other boats at the 

 time ; most providentially for him he got hold, but one poor fellow 

 missed his, and we never saw him more. About 6 a. m., it cleared up 

 a little, and we saw the land bearing W. N. W. of us, found that the 

 wreck was driving fast towards the shore, all the people in the main 

 rigging and chains, the sea making a clear breach over us ; we all 

 stripped of our clothing to a shirt or frock, in case we might be wash- 



