412 A Twenty-fourth. Memoir on the Law of Storms. [No. 5. 



close-reefed main topsail, her head to the S. S. E. Midnight blowing very 

 hard with small rain at times. At 4 a. m Friday, Barometer falling; 8, 

 wore ship to the N. Westward, expecting by Piddington's Law of Storms 

 that the centre bore S. S. E. from me, and by having my ship's head to 

 the Northward, I should be able to come up to the wind as it shifted and 

 prevent my vessel being taken aback. Lashed hammocks in the mizen 

 rigging. At 10 a. m. Barometer still falling down to 28.30, blowing a terrific 

 hurricane, all my bulwarks gone, the cabin doors and front of the poop stove 

 in and the sea washing over us. All hands lashed to the pumps. I got the 

 carpenter's axe ready to cut the lee rigging, as I expected to see the masts 

 go over every minute. Noon, blowing still harder with dreadful rain and 

 almost as dark as night. At 4 p. m. Barometer still falling, down to 28. 

 The hurricane at its extreme violence, and the rain was dreadful. I was 

 lashed close to the man at the wheel. I became quite deaf with the quan- 

 tity of rain and sea that was going down my ears. At 6 p. m. Barometer 

 rising, wind shifting to the Northward. At 7 P- m. wind N. W. hurricane 

 still blowing very hard with a fearful cross sea on. At 8 p. m. set the 

 goose wings of the foresail and got the ship before the sea to the South- 

 ward. At midnight wind abating fast, all hands still at the pumps, when 

 the crew were completely done up and said the vessel was sinking ; could 

 not sound the pumps on account of the repeated heavy seas washing fore 

 and aft. Daylight sounded the well and found eight feet water in her, 

 her paint streak completely in and her stern windows not far from the 

 water. I saw I had no time to lose. I asked the crew to stick to the 

 pumps ; they said they could not. I called to them and said " then the 

 only chance. that remains is to take to the boats, and it shall be that the 

 starboard watch takes the starboard boat, and the larboard watch the 

 port boat. I will not pick any one." One boat only reached the shore 

 about Pipley." 



Abridged Report from the H. O. F. Light Vessel Stab, Eastern Chan- 

 nel Station Lat. 21° 4/ N. Long. 88° 14/ East. 



The H. C. F. L. "Vessel " Star" experienced a very heavy gale of wind 

 on the 14th. It commenced on the 13th in the afternoon from E. by N. 

 gradually increasing, and on the 14th it blew a perfect hurricane with a 

 tremendous sea running. Vessel pitching and labouring very much and 

 shipping great quantities of water over all ; at midnight the wind gradu- 

 ally veered round to N. W. with very heavy squalls and gusts of wind 

 with a frightful sea running. On the 15th at 2 a. m. the gale abated and 

 the wind veered round to West. 



