1836. 



SEXTANT STORMS — SAIL. 



637 



my own invention, if I did not feel certain that seamen will find 

 it useful, and that somebody ought to tell them of it, for their 

 own sake. (These sextants were made by Worthington.) 



I was informed by the residents that between October and 

 April, they are occasionally visited by severe gales of wind, at 

 times almost hurricanes, so strong as to root up trees, strip the 

 leaves off others, and unroof or blow down houses. These 

 storms begin between south-east and south, and when they 

 abate draw towards the west (by the south) there ending. For 

 those who take interest in the course of storms I subjoin ex- 

 tracts from Mr. Ross's Journal given to me by Leisk.* Earth- 

 quakes have been felt several times, I was told by Mr. Leisk, 

 but I could get only one extract from the Journal which 

 mentioned a shock.-[* 



On the 12th we sailed, carrying a good sea-stock of cocoa- 

 nuts, pigs, poultry, pumpkins, and turtle. Maize and sugar- 

 cane might have been had, if wanted. We first went round 

 the northern Keeling : — on this island, about a mile across and 

 but a few feet above the ocean, two English vessels have been 

 lost since 1825, and probably other ships met a similar fate 



* " April 4th, 1835. Wind south, blowing- very hard all day, with a 

 hard cloudy sky. 5th. Blowing- heavily from the same point ; with rain. 

 6th. Wind S.E. still blowing heavily, with rain. 7th. Wind increasing, at 

 midnight the tops of many trees blown off; trees falling-, and roofs of 

 houses sulfering-, wind still S.E. At two a.m. on the 8th wind south; 

 several houses laid flat ; excessive thunder and lightning, with torrents of 

 rain. About three a.m. the storm abating, and drawing to the west; at 

 four, moderate west wind. 9th. N.W. light breeze, clear weather ; went 

 Avith a party (Mr. Ross, Leisk, &c.) to South-East Bay (inside South- 

 East Island), found the bay strewed with dead fish of all sorts and sizes, 

 which we supposed to have been killed by the fresh water. Numbers of 

 trees blown down every where, and the earth cut through in many places 

 by the runs of rain-water." On the 26th of November 1835, a south-east 

 gale increased almost to a hurricane, causing similar effects, though less 

 in number, because it lasted only two hours, and then ended by shifting 

 to the westward, and moderating. 



t That notice says, " May 25, 1830, weather calm and sultry, light N.E. 

 breeze : about 1*30 a.m. an earthquake, of a rocking description, was felt. 

 It continued about three minutes, and made our wooden house reel and 

 strain considerably/' 



