1851.] 



A Twentieth Memoir on the Law of Storms. 



27 



high sea, Bar. 29.67 to 29.00 at Midnight. At 7 p. m. wind North. At 11, 

 blowing terrifically. Shifted cargo and ballast, lost boats and other damage. 



2,7 ih April. — a. m. wind hauling to the Westward; 2 a. m. abating; at 4 

 a. m. wind W. S. W. Sea going down and gale fast abating. Noon fine 

 weather. Lat. 19° 29' North ; Long. 87° 06' East ; Bar. 29.79. 



On the Coromandel Coast. 



The following is the Register of the Barometer and Thermometer 

 at the Madras Observatory from the 23rd to the 2/th of April. 







Barometer 





Thermometer. 



Date. 













8 A. M. 



4 P. M. 



10 P. M. 



8 A. M. 



4 P. M. 



10 P. M. 



April 23rd. — 



30.014 



29.934 



30.012 



85.2 



91.9 



83.3 



1850. 24th.— 



—.030 



—.886 



29.935 



82.6 



92.1 



83.7 



25th.— 



29.925 



—830 



—.906 



85.4 



95.2 



84.9 



26th.— 



—.930 



—.830 



—.936 



87.3 



98.0 



85.5 



27th.— 



—.962 



—.884 



—.976 



87.5 



94.2 



85.0 



Abridged Copy of the Note Book of Capt. Shire, Ship Iskander 

 Shaw, from Cochin to Calcutta. The Log Book being lost in the 

 severe gale y this begins from the 26th April, 1850. 



At Noon Lat. 18° 30' N. ; Long. 85° 15' East; p. m. the weather seeming 

 threatening (although the Bar. showed no indication of it being still at 29.70, 

 the same as it had been during the past ten days), shortened sail, in reefs and 

 down royal yards ; tacked ship and stood to the Northward, but towards sunset 

 finding that the angry appearance of the weather still increased, and our distance 

 from land being very little, tacked again, and stood to the S. Eastward to gain 

 an offing and guard against any set of current on shore in case a gale should 

 come on, the wind being then at E. N. Eastward. 



27th April. — At 2 a. m. the wind coming in strong gusts reduced ship to 

 storm sail ; the Bar. had now fallen to 29.60, and during the night we stood 

 about S. E. at the rate of three knots, under the foresail and double-reefed main 

 topsail lowered on the cap intending at daylight to send down the top gallant 

 yards and masts. During the night the Bar. did not fall any more, but strange 

 to say at 4 a. m. it again rose to 29.70; although at daylight still more gloomy 

 and threatening ; hauled up the foresail and laid her to, under close-reefed main 

 topsail. Almost instantaneously the wind blew with an inconceivable fury and the 

 sea rose in the like manner and with both came on torrents of rain ; after several 

 vain attempts to furl the foresail called the people down until the fury of the 



E 2 



