1858.] Account of a Cyclone in the Andaman Sea. 329 



wind to S. E. and its subsequent veering by S. to S. W. as sufficient 

 evidence. Starting from the position fixed for the centre at noon 

 on the 9th near the Cocos Islands, this would give it a radius of 

 about 300 miles. On the 8th when it commenced, probably a little 

 W. of the Andamans, it was felt at Port Blair. 



Having fixed the centre for noon of the 9th for the midnight fol- 

 lowing and for noon of the 10th, we are enabled to form a conclu- 

 sion as to its rate of travelling and the difference of its speed on 

 the surface of the Sea and on the land. In the period from noon 

 to midnight on the 9th, the centre accomplished a distance of about 

 160 — 170 miles and in the 12 hours following about 90 — 100 miles. 

 Accordingly it travelled at the rate of about 14 miles an hour on 

 the water and of about 8 miles an hour on the land. 



The track of the Cyclone does not keep a straight line but is 

 slightly curved, the concavity of the curve pointing to the south- 

 east. 



For determining the position of the centre, I have only used such 

 positions of the ships as could be defined with sufficient approach to 

 their real place, as otherwise the uncertainty of some parts of the 

 ship's tracks and also of the observation of the wind's changes when 

 further removed from the centre, would often lead to error. 



To complete the information, I mention that by a letter which 

 Capt. Dicey, Master Attendant at Calcutta, had the kindness to 

 communicate to me, the Cyclone caused considerable damage at 

 Henzadah latitude 17° 40' N. and longitude 95° 15' E. on the fore- 

 noon of the 10th, when its centre passed between that place and 

 Rangoon. The destruction caused at Eangoon was also great, as 

 I conclude from verbal accounts, but it is to be assumed that 

 the violence of the Cyclone must have been considerably lessened 

 by the time it had progressed so far inland. This would also 

 appear from the small disturbance of the atmosphere experienced 

 at Amherst and Maulmain on the 10th. 



It will be interesting to mark the limits of the region in which 

 the Cyclone raged, and the winds that prevailed in these limits 

 before and after it. 



The region in which the effects of the storm were felt may be 

 included between the 11th and 19th degrees N. latitude and between 



