900 Eighteenth Memoir on the Law of Stor?ns. [Sept. 



remarkable and threatening cloud or bank appears, it is thought little 

 of, and never noted in the log. We should bear in mind too that the 

 same bank of clouds may look most dismal and alarming with the sun 

 and ship in certain positions, while in others it may appear compara- 

 tively trifling, and only a bank of clouds. The question for the intelligent 

 Mariner should always be, " is there a bank of clouds in addition to the 

 other signs V 



The Wellesley, Barham, Futtle Rozack and other ships notice the 

 " dark lurid appearance and the clouds flying in broken masses and thin 

 sheets as if torn from some other mass." This I also noticed at the 

 time of the Chittagong hurricane referred to in the preceding note. 



2. The Red Sky and Red Light. — We have fortunately obtained in 

 this instance complete proof, of the most convincing kind, that the red 

 sky and red light occur at times in the Bay of Bengal as a distinct and 

 remarkable appearance on the approach of a Cyclone. I have been 

 unwilling to separate the details of each log as given to me by the 

 Commanders, and thus refer the reader to the Barham's at p. 835, the 

 Wellesley at p. 837, the Sea Park at p. 838, the Futtle Rozack at 

 p. 854, and the British Sovereign at p. 840, which ship appears only 

 to have seen a red glow at times. 



The evidence, however, of the other ships is fully conclusive, and I 

 have moreover the testimony of one of the oldest commanders to this 

 port, Capt. McLeod of the ship John McViccar, as to a very remarkable 

 Cyclone, that of the London, Capt. Wimble, in October, 1832, quoted 

 by Col. Reid in his Law of Storms, in which it was distinctly seen in 

 Lat. 15° N. ; Long. 89^- ° East ; and also at night ! lasting from sunset 

 till nearly midnight, the sky, and sea, and every object being of a bright 

 scarlet colour !* 



3. Peculiar brightness and twinkling of the Stars. — This precur- 

 sory sign was also very clearly observed and noted by the British 

 Sovereign p. 840, the Chas Kerr, p. 842, the Sir Robert Seppings, p. 

 844, and Futtle Rozack p. I remarked it also very notably at the time 

 of the Chittagong Cyclone before adverted to, as also that the stars 

 were visible at very small altitudes, and I have no doubt that had the 

 sea horizon been visible from Calcutta, it would also have been very 



* I shall in another place give the detailed statement sent me by Capt. 

 McLeod. 



