1851.] A Twentieth Memoir on the Law of Storms. 41 



Calcutta, 26th April, 1850. — A heavy close calm day. Sky mostly covered 

 with a dense mass of clouds, strata and cumulo-strata with nimbi; slight falls 

 of rain in minute drops at intervals. The feeling of the weather was oppressive 

 in the extreme, and exactly that of the "earthquake weather" of the Spanish 

 Colonies; Bar. at noon 29.85. 



27th April. — At Midnight it became squally with rain from the N. E.; at 

 2.30 a. m. blowing strong in squalls, with heavy rain; at 6 a. m. strong squalls 

 with intervals of calm. Wind N. E. Sky clouded all over and below a dark, 

 loose, smoky scud, flying pretty fast from N. East to S. West the upper clouds 

 moving to about West. Some distant thunder but no lightning. Bar. 29.77 ; 

 Simp. 29.80; Ther. 81 £°; 9 a. m. Bar. 29.77; Simp. 29.81 ; Ther. 82°. Short 

 squalls at intervals E. N. E. with heavy rain, then nearly calm ; lower scud 

 from East or even E. b. S. 



By 10^ a. m. wind E. S. E. ; Bar. 29.78; Simp. 29.81. Scud from 

 E. S. E. Heavy rain at intervals. At noon no observations. 



3.25 p. m. wind S. S. E. in heavy squalls ; Bar. 29.70 ; Simp. 29.72 : Ther. 

 82°. Scud from due South, and throughout always distinct from the upper 

 stratum of cloud. I should judge now that the centre may be about Midna- 

 pore and that it is a Cyclone which has curved up from the South. 



At 3.50 p. m. wind South. A very singular phenomenon now took place 

 which I have noted as follows : the observations being made from the terrace 

 of my house at about 45 feet above the ground, and with an uninterrupted view 

 of the horizon on all sides. " Ridges of black cumuli to the Westward and 

 a low bank of black nimbus to the East, but from the South to the Zenith and 

 thence to the North, a clear arch of open (but not blue) sky was seen which 

 might be about 50° in breadth. The colour of the clear sky was a kind of 

 purple, or rather a black blue, for there was no shade of red in it, yet though 

 clear it could not be called blue. This appearance is as if we saw a part of 

 the uplifted edge of the Cyclone or the Monsoon forcing its way up below it." 

 At 4.30 p. m. Bar. 29.68; Simp. 29.74; Ther. 82°. Hard squalls from 

 South. N. B. — From 12 to 4 p. m. blowing harder than from 8 a. m. to 12. 



At 7 p. m. Wind S. b. W. squalls moderating. Clouds in long ridges from 

 the S. Westward to the N. Eastward. The opening before described now 

 from S. S. W. to N. N. E.* and a dark bank of nimbus still to the Eastward. 

 Bar. 29.72; Simp. 29.78; Ther. 82|°. 



8 p. m. Bar. 29.74; Simp. 29.81 ; Ther. 82£. A strong Monsoon gale in 

 squalls but no rain, by midnight fine weather. 



From Mr. W. Sinclair, Midnapore. 

 For several days before the 27th it became frequently very cloudy, the wind 

 blowing rather steadily, or with very little variation from the south ; and we 

 * Which would be the direction of the S. Eastern edge of the Cyclone. 



G 



