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



coming on thick and fast, without any indications to windward of 

 more settled weather, I was forced to expect a hurricane against 

 my previous opinions, supported as they were by the season, and 

 the absence of those earlier indications, save the swell, that are usually 

 considered a prelude to these tempests. Supposing in that even, that 

 the wind would haul to the West as it then had to the North, brought 

 the ship to three points, or S. W. by W., put preventers upon the 

 yards, determined to carry sail at every hazard, and run from the gale 

 as the rotary theory would seem to intimate, — but there was more to 

 be feared from the North Paracel Shoal, inside, or to the West of 

 which, I suppose we were. The top-gallant-yards were coming down 

 between this and 7 o'clock, t when it was full late to reduce sail ; 

 and the mizen-top-sail being in and the others upon the cap, I knew 

 no end more conducive to our safety, than to carry on and let them 

 blow away, which they soon did in a yaw to windward, leaving the fore- 

 top-mast-stay-sail to veer under, which brought us round in a lurch that 

 put at rest all further exertion to secure anything to leeward, or do much 

 elsewhere, for the air was full of foam and spray. At 10 o'clock I found 

 the wind had shifted within the last 20 minutes to W. S. W. and blew 

 much harder than before, carrying the ship well over, or as near on 

 her beam-ends, as is generally understood by that term when applied 

 to ships laying in violent tempest that have not entirely capsized. I 

 had not seen the barometer since last noted, for the passage to it was lum- 

 bered up, and I was more intent upon the compass, and thinking of 

 the shoal, to leeward ; but the Mate, who succeeded better, said it 

 was 28.36'. One of the lee cabin dead-lights at this time burst open, 

 and I believe the ship might have been lost from that cause alone, had 

 no one been present, or the hinges have gone; for that side was under 

 water. At 1 1 o'clock the mercury was up, but it was doubtful when 

 it had moderated. At 12 p. m. it certainly had, and at 2 p. m. we 

 were looking about us again. (We found the jibboom and appendages 

 carried away, and a whole suit of sails from ' top to bottom,' for those 

 that were furled had blown from the gaskets, and those sent down 

 could not be secured to leeward and were lost — other spars, bulwarks, 

 «Scc. were gone.) At noon of the next day, after sailing through the 

 night and forenoon 1^ to 2 knots West against the swell, I found we 

 were twenty miles North of the North Paracel Shoal, and on its men- 



