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



perfectly authenticated instance of a severe Cyclone off the south end of 

 Formosa, also curving away to the eastward, after travelling up from the 

 southward : so that this one becomes not so improbable when we con- 

 sider moreover that the land of China and that of Formosa are both 

 high, which may influence the formation and tracks of the meteors very 

 considerably. 



1847. 

 Track P. 



Tyfoon of the Brig Guess, July, 1847. 

 The following is a newspaper notice, altered from the Singapore Free 

 Press, of Oct. 14th, 184/, to Civil Time. 



"The following has been sent us from Amoy for publication. The Guess seems 

 to have encountered a very severe gale : — 



' Extract from the brig Guess's Log. — On the 19th July 1847, at noon fresh 

 breeze and squally. Barometer falling to 29.50 ; at 2 double-reefed the top-sails 

 and furled top-gallant sails. At 3 p. m. more moderate ; wind N. N. W., out 

 reefs and set top-gallant sails. At 4 p. m. strong breeze and a dirty appearance, 

 in top-gallant sails and double reefed the top-sails. At 6 p. m. strong gale, 

 squally, and looking bad, wind N. b. W., close-reefed the top-sails, handed 

 square main-sail jib, and mizen ; sea getting up and Barometer falling. At 8 p. 

 m. wind North, Barometer 29.00 ; — an increasing gale attended with hard 

 squalls and rainy dirty weather; handed the fore-top sail. Midnight, Barometer 

 28.50,* wind North, blowing a strong gale; handed the fore-sail, brought the 

 ship to under close-reefed maintop-sail. 



20th. At 4 a. m. hard gale, attended with hard squalls and rainy dirty wea- 

 ther and high rough sea, — brig labouring heavily and shipping large seas fore 

 and aft. At 6 a. m. still increasing and a dirty appearance, — down top gallant 

 yards and mast; and made the ship snug. At 10 a. m. fore-topmast staysail 

 blew away, ship labouring heavily; cut adrift 11 bales of Tinder from off the 

 quarter and stern davits ; at noon wind N. b. W. — Barometer 28.50 and falling, 

 blowing a most terrific hurricane, brig laying down on her beam ends, lee side 

 of the deck under water, labouring heavily, pumps constantly attended to, cut 

 away foretop mast and carried away jib boom at the same time. Ship labouring 

 heavily, working herself to pieces, cut away the lee bulwarks. For the preservation 

 of the ship and the lives of the crew it was necessary to heave overboard all the 

 passengers' chests, baggage, guns, &c, from off the lee side of the deck. Brig 

 on her beam ends labouring and shipping large seas fore and aft, washing every 

 thing from of! the deck. No observation. 



* Possibly 28.80 ?— H. P. 



