1858.] A Twenty -Fifth Memoir on the Law of Storms. 193 



occur, but in this instance it was more like the bubbling of gas in a 

 spring, than the frothing described by Capt. Boon and his officers. 

 The Management of the Pluto. 



The sailors will not fail to remark, and indeed it excited much 

 attention amongst Nautical men in Calcutta at the time, that this 

 seems to be at first sight the case of an encumbered Steamer, which 

 might certainly, one would think, have got out of the way of the 

 centre, allowing herself to be caught in it to the imminent risk of 

 the vessel and the lives of all on board ; but as will be seen by the 

 following letter addressed to the Superintendant of Marine, Capt. 

 Boon did all that his vessel would allow him to do, in the very 

 difficult position in which he was placed. 



Captain T. E. Rogers, Superintendant Marine. 



Sir, — In reply to your demi-official communication with copies of 

 H. C. Str. Pluto's log and Captain Boon's letter I have the honor 

 to say. 



1. That it is very certain that our knowledge of the tracks of 

 the Cyclones in the Andaman Sea is very uncertain, and that, as 

 quoted by Captain Boon, the only track given in the Horn Book, 

 which is laid down from the (then) only recorded storm, is one from 

 the E. S. E. to the W. N. W. My new Memoir, the 22nd of the 

 series, just sent to you; shews a new track for them, namely from 

 the S. b. E. S. and S. S. E. to the N, N. W. and N. W. b. N. 

 between the two volcanos of Narcandam and Barren Island, and out 

 by the Preparis passage. This memoir however Captain Boon could 

 not have seen. The present Cyclone gives us another and is pro- 

 bably an instance of a re-curving track. 



2. Captain Boon very rightly steams for an offing and correctly 

 judges at 9 p. m. that the centre of the Cyclone bears S. W. of 

 him, and this is confirmed by the swell from S. W., but he is neces- 

 sarily still uncertain as to its track, and, as any one would have 

 done, still steams out for an offing, and so far obtains one that lie 

 deepens off the bank to no ground with twenty fathoms, if I read 

 his log correctly ? 



3. At midnight, however, there was no doubt of the track of the 

 Cyclone to the N. Eastward since the wind was steady at S. E. and 

 Barometer falling fast, and the steamer had not more than held her 



2 c 



