1852.] A Twenty-first Memoiron the Law of Storms. 309 



The ship made excellent weather of it the whole time, splitting the 

 topsail being the only mishap. 



Joseph Swan. 

 Barque Sarah Swan, Madras Roads, May 9th, 1851 

 May 8th 7h. p. m. Barometer 29.73. 

 lOh. p. m. 29.77. 



May 9th 7h. a. m. 29.78. 



8k. a. m. 29.80. 



Ilk. a. m. 29.79. 



Memo. — As tke standard Barometer at tke Observatory was at 29.97 ; 

 at 8 a. m. and tke Sarah Swan at 29.80 tkis day .170 may be added to ker 

 Barometer wken at its Minimum, viz. 28.85 ■+■ 17 wkick would give 29.02. 

 as tke indication of ker Barometer during tke keigkt of tke gale. 



C. B. 

 Ship William Fisher, Capt. Jones. 

 To Captain Biden, H. C. S. 

 Sie, — At 6-30 a. m. of tke 3rd instant, having observed and answered 

 your signal to tke skipping, I slipped my cable and stood to tke Eastward 

 under close reefed topsail's, reefed foresail, mizen main trysail, and fore- 

 topmast staysail. My Barometer at tkat time 29.30 ; at noon, took in tke 

 foresail ; tke squalls at tkat time very keavy ; Barometer 29.20 ; at 6 p. m. 

 gale still increasing, wind steady at nortk : and, being tken by account in 

 Latitude 12° 52' Nortk ; Long. 80° 54' East, skortened sail. At 8 p. m. 

 tke weatker cleared up a little, and, during tke nigkt it blew a steady gale 

 from tke Northward, Barometer still falling ; at Noon of tke 4tk, Latitude 

 by account 12° 27' Nortk ; Long. 81° 3' East. Although the squalls at 

 times were violent, accompanied with heavy showers, had it not been for 

 the Barometer, I should have thought the gale nearly ended. At 4 p. m. 

 there was much less wind and drawing to the Westward ; during the day 

 and night previous, the vessel had not shipped any water, and the decks 

 had been dry fore and aft, except during the short shower ; but at this 

 time, the water was perfectly smooth. Nevertheless the Mercury had 

 fallen to 28.60, — the sea, though calm, was covered with milky foam, and 

 the horizon was circumscribed with that dense murky haze which almost 

 invariably precedes a heavy storm or hurricane, and which appeared to be 

 closing on every side, and I took advantage of the lull to see my sails and 

 every thing else well secured. At 6.30 p. m. a heavy gust of wind spkt 

 the main trysail. It lasted about 20 minutes, and came without the least 

 warning, and rained in torrents during that time : the wind at N. W. ; at 

 8 a. m. by account Lat. 12° 22' N. ; Long. 81° 14' E Ship hove to, under 



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