On the Cyclones of Tasmania, ce. A19 
The body of flames came down with such rapidity from 
the mountain ranges towards the coast, that those who left 
their huts for a few hours found all swept away on their 
return. 
At Portland there was a furious hot-wind from N.N.W., 
and thermometer in the sun 116°. After noticing the 
destruction of much property on shore, we are told that at 
sea the weather was even more fearful. Captain Reynolds 
reports that, on Thursday, when twenty miles from the 
Laurence Islands (in Portland Bay), the heat was so intense 
that every person on board was struck almost powerless. A 
sort of whirlwind in the afternoon struck the vessel, and 
carried the topsail, lowered down on the cap, clean out of 
the bolt-rope; and had he not been prepared for the shock, 
the vessel, he has no doubt, would have been capsized. 
Flakes of fire were at the time flying thick all around the 
vessel, from the shore, in the direction of Portland. 
The Portland Herald states that the Master of the Henry 
Edward (My. T. Maybee), on arriving at the Laurence 
Island, on Thursday, experienced a hurricane of hot winds, 
which parted the vessel from her cables, riding at 100 
fathoms on each cable. ‘The fire flew above the vessel in 
large flakes, which burnt the running gear, so that the sails 
fell down on deck, and the great difficulty of the master 
and crew was to prevent the sails taking fire. The lights 
below were lit from 11 A.M. to 2 p.M., and burnt as blue as 
possible. After this the gale ceased, and blew from the 
W.S.W. a moderate breeze. 
The Geelong and Melbourne papers are filled with accounts 
of the wide-spread destruction of flocks of sheep, horses, 
crops, buildings, &e. 
About 4 P.M. the black, roaring tempest had crossed the 
Straits to Van Diemen’s Land. ‘The ship Tasman, on the 
