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



from Hongkong. The Swalloiv when in about 19 cleg. N. latitude encountered 

 one of those singular but destructive phenomena which have buried in the 

 depths of the ocean so many lives. She appears to have had a very narrow 

 and providential escape from foundering, having passed near the centre of the 

 storm. Captain Anderson has obligingly favored us with the loan of his log 

 book, from which some interesting particulars are here annexed : — 



The Swallow left Hong Kong Nov. 7th and experienced fresh breezes from the 

 N. E. with a somewhat unusually heavy sea. It was not however until the 9th 

 that any change was observable in the atmosphere. 



Extracts from the Log of the Barque Swallow, Captain Anderson, from Hong- 

 Kong to Sydney. 



Nov. 9th. Wind N. E. p. m. Cloudy with rain in all directions ; pumps 

 kept going every hour. At mid-night wind increasing still from the N. E. with 

 a more violent sea. At noon the sun was obscured : Lat. by account 18 deg. 

 40 m. N. long, by account 113° 0' East. 



At 1 p. m. strong gale and a heavy sea — the latter making a passage over all. 

 At 8 p. m. double reefed the topsails, the vessel at this time scudding before 

 the wind and shipping heavy and dangerous seas on deck. At mid-night gale 

 increasing ; the sea lashed up into a complete foam. 



Nov. 10th. — At 4 a. m. shipped a heavy sea which swept nearly every thing 

 off the decks, including water casks, spars, &c. At 6 the vessel was labouring 

 severely, the sea making a complete breach over her, and threatening instant des- 

 truction, on each occasion taking away something from the deck. The cuddy 

 cabins were now stove in, and nearly every thing washed overboard belonging to 

 the passengers ; breaking through the hatch of the gun-room and destroying the 

 stores. At 9 a. m. both quarter boats filled ; the long-boat, also the cook's 

 house and remaining articles on deck were carried away by heavy seas ; it was 

 now found necessary to cut away the boats from both quarters as the vessel 

 was labouring much in consequence of their filling with every succeeding wave. 

 At lOh. a. m. it fell suddenly calm, and continued so for about one hour, in which 

 the wind flew round to the S. W. blowing stronger than before ; all this time the 

 sea was foaming over the vessel, and the men kept constantly at the pumps. 

 At 11 a. m. hove to and cut away the topsails from the yards. It not being 

 possible to quit the pumps, bore up and hove to again at noon ; at this juncture 

 the ship was on her beam-ends, her yard-arms in the sea : the ship became 

 unmanageable. It now became necessary for the safety of ship, cargo and all 

 concerned to cut away the main-mast, which was done ; the ship immediately 

 righted and got before the wind, running before a heavy gale and tremendous 

 sea, plunging the bowsprit under water. 



Course N. by E., wind S. W. p. m., after clearing away the wreck of the 

 mast and spars, all hands were again set to the pumps ; pumping up sugar and 



