1842.] A Sixth Memoir on the Law of Storms in India. 695 



1840. 



The Oneida's Tyfoon. 



October 1840, from the Singapore Free Press. 



The following notice of a tyfoon in the China seas was elicited by 

 the public notice of the Indian Government, of October 1839, pub- 

 lished at my solicitation, requesting information from all persons on the 

 subject of storms. It is, unfortunately, the only account we have of 

 this storm, and though a good one, wants so many of the data from 

 which to lay down its track, that all we can do is to notice it as a 

 heavy tyfoon from about East or E. S. E. in about latitude 18° 40' 

 to 19° North, and about on the meridian of the Paracels. 



TO THE EDITOR OF THE SINGAPORE FREE PRESS. 



Dear Sir, — Noticing in your paper a request on the part of the 

 British Government for information relative to storms, it seems in- 

 cumbent upon me, visiting this port to repair damages sustained 

 in one, to make a few observations, which though they may not 

 be sufficiently close to aid the cause of science much, may be of 

 interest to the general reader, or seaman, to whom I shall more 

 particularly address them. I sailed from Canton on the 13th of 

 October, and lost sight of the land about 5 p. m. Through the night 

 and the next day the wind was N. E. and steady, and the general as- 

 pect of the weather was that which we see on sounding, or when the 

 atmosphere is lit up by the reflection from ' green water/ as termed. 

 At 9 p. m. I noticed the mercury to have fallen 20 parts of an inch 

 from its usual standard at Canton for October, but apprehended no 

 change, as it is liable to fall on approaching a lower latitude, and 

 the weather continued good, wind having hauled about N. N. E. At 

 11 p. m. the barometer was 29-70, with more wind and a small swell 

 from the Northward. At 3 a. m. it had fallen more, and appearances 

 were changing in the thin misty clouds that were hurrying over and 

 as fast collecting again. At 4 a. m. the mercury stood 29.50 ; and to 

 be on the safe side, I double-reefed the topsails, furled the main 

 sail and jib, and sent the royal-yards down, expecting an f Eas- 

 terly Gale.' At 5 a. m. the barometer had fallen lower, and the gale 



