1851.] A Twentieth Memoir on the Law of Storms, 35 



about 38 miles S. S. E. of the lower floating light, with a drift of 90 miles to 

 the Westward, so laid to under a close-reefed topsail with my head to the S. E. 

 fully expecting that if it was a Cyclone approaching that we should be complete- 

 ly in its track. Gladly would I have spanked away to the S. S. W. and endea- 

 vored " to cross its hawse" but I had no authority to go away so far from my 

 station, and I felt moreover that with attention and sea room my light little Brig 

 was equal to any weather. Our Barometers up to 8 a. m. of the 26th, showed 

 no very great depression but continued to fall slowly, the weather gradually get- 

 ting worse, and the sea rising fast in confused heaps, the squalls at times fearfully 

 hard. Just at noon occurred one of the strangest spectacles I have ever witnessed 

 since going to sea (upwards of 30 years) that is, from being in a gale of wind, 

 and to all appearances increasing to a hurricane, we in an instant plunged into 

 a space of beautiful weather. The sun shining, clear blue sky overhead, and 

 not wind enough to keep the sails from flapping against the masts, this put me 

 on my guard and I thought of your " treacherous calm or lull," it continued 

 thus for about one and a half hour, the dark and dense masses which floated 

 away to the N. W. and S. W. were frightful to look at, and put me in mind of 

 a curtain being drawn up at a theatre, the glasses did not appear to be affected 

 by this but continued to fall, as we drifted to the S. W. 2 p. m. sky overcast 

 again and threatening appearances, more particularly from South to S. W. every 

 now and then sharp flashes of lightning in that quarter, but no thunder. By 

 midnight of the 26th, I consider the hurricane to have been fairly on ; Marine 

 Bar. 29.57; Aneroid Bar. 29.65 ; Simp. 29.56; from this to 3.30 a. m. 27th, 

 the instruments fell to 29.37. 29.51 and 29.44, the wind blowing as hard as there 

 was any occasion for, commencing about this time to veer from N. E. to East ; at 

 4 a. m. it had gone round to S. S. E. the lightning and threatening appearances 

 to the S. W. increasing ; up to 5 a. m. the gusts were terrific enough to tear the 

 masts out of the fine little Brig, but she breasted it under a close-reefed main 

 topsail like a sea gull without shipping a sea or making any water ; the glasses 

 from 5 a. m. rose rapidly, and the wind going to the Westward of South decreas- 

 ing in strength, I shaped my course for the " Pilot's Ridge" and struck sound- 

 ings on it by 9 p. m. The Schooner Joseph Manook was in company with us 

 during the worst part, and we could not but admire the ease with which she 

 seemed to encounter it, under a close reefed spencer and a tarpaulin in main 

 rigging as a balance. This Cyclone is earlier on the Sandheads than ever I 

 recollect having them, and it was not attended by any " swell" though that which 

 did get up with the breeze was enormous, but local, from the existing hurricane, 

 and subsided with it, all the other signs were perfect and unmistakeable. 



1 add, to complete this valuable report, an extract from Mr. Ransom's Baro- 

 metrical register. 



f 2 



