OCT. — DEC. 1856.] 
Scientific JnteUiijcncc. 
115 
[The following notice of the late Storm of the 20th Nov. lSo6, was kindly fur- 
n:shed by Major Jacob, The Hon'ble Company's .^.stronomer.] 
The Barometer began to show a downward tendency as early as 
the night of the 17th but so slight as to cause no alarm ; for the 
ne.xt two days this tendency continued, but there was no sudden 
depression ; the daily rise being only a little less, and the daily 
fall rather more prolonged than usual. No decided fall took place 
until the afternoon of the 20th when instead of the usual rise after 
4. p. M., the mercury, after fluctuating slightly for about an hour, 
continued descending until 3 h. 30 m. a. :m:. on 21st, when it stood 
at 29-540. 
The wind, which had teen for some days a little westerly, blue 
rather fresh from N. N. W. about midnight of the 19th, but the 
pressure scarcely exceeded olb. on the square foot. 
On the morning of the 20th, after a short lull it veered to the 
eastward of X., about 10 h. 30 a. returning to nearly due N., in 
the afternoon between 2 and 3 p. ir. the pressure reached 12ib. 
but only in a single gust. From 5 to 8 the gale moderated and 
again became easterly ; but freshened again during the night, and 
about midnight began to veer westerly, from 4 to 5 a. m. on the 
21st it attained a force of 18J lb., when it began gradually to mo- 
derate and by the evening had become nearly calm, still coming 
round till it finally blew S. W. The Barometer continued to rise 
steadily from 3| a. m., and by the evening had nearly attained its 
usual height. 
From the course followed by the wind it was inferred that the 
centre of the storm was passing a little southward of Madras, and 
this agrees with the reports of the shipping which stood out to sea 
in a S. E. direction, and met with worse weather than what occur- 
red on shore. 
The rain continued heavily on the evening of the 19th, and con- 
tinued with little intermission until the morning of the 2 1st, the 
fall in those 36 hours amounting to 11-65 in. of which 6-22 in. fell 
in the night of the 20th. 
