310 A Twenty -first Memoir on the Law of Storms. [No. 4. 



close reefed main topsail, gale from N. W. b. N. At 8.30, heavy rain, 

 gale increasing ; at 9 p.m. another sudden and furious gust literally burst 

 the close reefed main topsail to ribbons, the rain fell in sheeted masses ; 

 and at 10 p. m. the thunder and lightning made another addition to the 

 fierce collision of the elements. This lasted without intermission until 2 

 a. m. of the 5th : the wind had gradually hauled round to the "Westward 

 and thence to the S. W. ; at that time I wore ship's head to the S. East- 

 ward. By account Latitude 12° 34' ; Longitude 81° 18' E, ; at 4 p. m. 

 wind and rain moderated a little, thunder and lightning ceased. Baro- 

 meter rising ; at 8, made sail, &c. Strong gale and cloudy weather ; — at 

 Noon, wind at South, more moderate, wore to the Westward ; weather 

 cloudy. No observation during the day, but from those obtained during 

 the night and next day, my reckoning must have been very correct. Made 

 the light-house bearing N. W. at noon of the 6th becalmed all the after- 

 noon. The above dates are all civil time, and you will observe that the 

 Mercury in my Barometer ranges much lower than that at your observa- 

 tory, for which reason I have mentioned the height of mine in the Roads 

 at 6.30 a. m. on the 3rd, The Thermometer during the four days remained 

 nearly stationary at 84° ; a number of small land birds were blown on 

 board and easily caught, sometimes several together on the afternoon of 

 the 4th ; and I observed several shoals of very large skate on the 3rd 

 and 4th. 



W. B. Jones, 

 Commander, Ship William Fisher. 



Madras Roads, May l§th, 1851. 



May Uh.— Noon Bar. 29.90 ; p. m. 2h. 28.80 : 4, 28.70 ; 5, 28.60 ; 6, 

 28.70; 6.30 a. m. 28.60;* 7, 28.70; 9, 28.70; 10, 28.80; 12, 28.80. 



May 5^.-3 a. m. 28.80; 4, 28.90; 5, 29.00; 8, 29.10; Noon, 29.35. 



Extract from the Log of the Ship " Cressy" Capt. Bell. (Civil Time). 



Days. Sours. Bar. Tlier. Winds. Remarks. 



May 3rd,— 2 a. m. 29.60 79° N. N. W. At 4.35 signal at Mas- 

 do. ter Attendant's flag to 

 do. slip and stand to sea; 

 North. repeated at daylight 

 do. with red flag and swal- 

 do. low tail and with guns 

 do. from the Fort, 

 do. 

 N. Easterly. 



* At the Observatory at 6.41 the Barometer was 29.362. 



4 do. 



29.52 



79 



6 do. 



29.55 



79 



8 do. 



29.52 



79 



10 do. 



29.55 



80 



12 do. 



29.60 



80 



2 do. 



29.53 



80 



4 do. 



29.50 



80 



6 do. 



29.51 



79 



10 do. 



29.55 



79 



