J 843.] Law of Storms in India. 319 



and the Sarah's log Capt. Atwood of the London, encountered the 

 gale on his passage from this port to Moulmein, and the Whitby, which 

 vessel sailed hence with troops for Moulmein on the 16th of October, 

 (the London sailed on the 18th,) experienced a perfect hurricane; her 

 sails were blown to shreds, and she lost her quarter boat, bulwarks, and 

 one man washed over board. The commander of the Whitby told 

 Captain Atwood, that the wind flew round to the Southward, that his 

 Barometer fell down to 28, and that his vessel was for sometime in a 

 critical situation. He promised to send me a copy of his log, otherwise 

 Capt. Atwood would have obtained minute, information ; but I am 

 sorry to say, the Whitby's log has not reached me. I believe the Whitby 

 was about 20 or 30 leagues east of the London. As she sailed two days 

 before her, the description of weather the Whitby encountered, and 

 her disasters, tally very much with what was experienced by the 

 Lady Feversham, and I believe she was not far from the Feversham 

 during the gale. I hope the information I have been enabled to 

 gather together, will furnish you with such authentic statements of 

 the extent, duration, and the character of the remarkable storm to 

 which all the logs relate, as can well be collected. I am of opinion 

 that Pondichery was the centrical position by land,* as it blew a com- 

 plete hurricane there, and was by no- means so violent at Negapatam. 

 The log of the Lady Clifford details the weather at that southern- 

 most point, and to the Westward of Madras there was no indication 

 of a severe gale. Official and private reports forwarded with the logs 

 shew, that the Barometer did not descend below 29.70, and a rise was 

 visible about 4 p. m. The gale commenced here about 8 a. m. on the 

 24th, and then the Barometer was at 29.89. We had smart squalls 

 the preceding night, and much rain, and except at intervals from 6 a.m. 

 till about noon, the weather was thick and hazy, with much rain, 

 however, only two vessels remained in the roads after eleven. The 

 Dauntless slipped at noon, and the Emerald brig, having got down 

 her yards, and riding heavily, cut away her masts at 3 p. m., the sea 

 then making a fair breach over her, with two anchors ahead, from 

 one of which she parted ; she rode out the gale. It blew fresh, and at 

 times in hard gusts. The wind was from North to N. by E. till 

 noon, N. N. E. at 2 p. m. and veering from N. N. E. to E. N. E. till 6. 



* The centre passed a little to the north of Pondichery. 



