12 Seventeenth Memoir on the Law of Storms. [Jan. 



wind veered to N. by W. increasing thick and rainy, a wild look. Bar. 29.79; 

 got down top-gallant masts and yards ; 10 p. m. wind shifted suddenly to N. W. 

 and commenced blowing hard squalls, steady rain, dark and gloomy ; Bar. 29. 

 75 ; 12, blowing very hard in squalls, sea making up ; Bar. 29.55 ; 2 a. m. blow- 

 ing furiously, let go 3d anchor and veered out all the cable ; ship holding on, 

 others dragging past us ; Bar. 29.35. 4 a. m. blowing a hurricane; got topmasts 

 and yards down, let go stream anchor, the fleet driving past us; a heavy sea on, 

 ship pitching bows under, hard squalls, steady rain, dark gloomy weather ; Bar. 

 29.30. 6 a. m. blowing furiously in squalls, the ship started her anchors and 

 drove 4 miles before she brought up ; drove from 5 into 3| fathoms water ; an 

 English Brig, driving past us broadside to the wind, sea making a breach over 

 her; Bar. 29.20 ; the trees began to give away to the force of the wind, many on 

 the roads lying prostrate. 8 a. m. gale unabated, three vessels on shore; Bar. 29. 

 20. Noon, gale in its fury, steady rain in torrents. Bar. 29.40. 1. 30. a. m. 

 it fell a still calm instantly for five minutes, the wind shifted suddenly to S. S. 

 E. and blew as hard as ever ; the rain pouring in torrents ; Bar. 29 44. 2. 30. a. m. 

 moderating fast, sea going down rapidly, wind S. S. E. ; Bar. 29.51. 4 a. m. 

 wind veered to south, more pleasant ; Bar. 29.66. 6 a. m, calm and cloudy, Bar. 

 29.75 ; much sea on. 



In this gale three vessels drove on shore and all the fleet at anchor in the Bay 

 dragged 3 or 4 miles. It appears the gale was felt severely in the China sea, as 

 two English ships came in dismasted after it, one of them was off the Pratas 

 Shoal at the time, from Macao bound to Chusan, the other off the Macclesfield 

 Bank, from Macao for Bombay. 



A Brig was at the time in Bernadino straits and reported having a very strong 

 N. W. wind but clear weather and smooth sea." 



A Singapore newspaper gives the following notice, but it is uncer- 

 tain if at this late period of the season the gale may not have been the 

 monsoon and not part of a Cyclone. From the dates it could not have 

 been the same as the Unicorn's. 



"The Cecilia, Captain Buttry, suffered severely during the late gale. At the 

 commencement, on the 28th October (sea time) in Lat. 17° 32' N. ; Long. 

 119 ° 49' E. met with heavy gales from the N. N, E. which continued with in- 

 creasing fury until the 31st, when it blew a hurricane. The Cecilia lost two 

 men, one of whom was washed overboard. Part of her cargo was obliged to be 

 cast overboard, and the copper sheathing was washed from the starboard side of 

 vessel. On the weather moderating on the 2d November, found themselves in 

 Lat. 17 o 4' N. ; Long. 112 o 57' E." 



The shifts experienced by the Unicorn, N. W. to S. S. E. gives a 



