346
THE NEW ZEALAND GAZETTE.
drawing near the centre of a cyclone;" the course
was changed to N.W., and from this until noon of
the following day the "Coldstream" seems to have
kept up steadily with the cyclone on its southern
quadrant, steering throughout a N.W. course.
8 p.m.-The "cyclone burst on us with great fury,
with one continued blue flame of lightning and a
heavy sweep of rain; ship in one complete mass of
foam; could not see a yard from ship." Wind, sea,
and rain increased until noon of the 30th. At
1 p.m. "ship's course west to south, the wind veering
rapidly to S.E., and barometer falling rapidly from
29-40 to 28:50. 3 p.m.-Wind fell very light, ship
being in the centre of cyclone. At 8 p.m.-Wind
about W.N.W., cyclone again burst on the ship with
greater fury than ever, with one blue flame of light-
ning all round the horizon, and rain coming down in
one sheet of water." Thus at 1 p.m. the "Cold-
stream" had got round to the N.E. quadrant of the
storm, and then went right through the vortex,
arriving at the S.W. quadrant at 8 p.m. At daylight
the wind began to moderate and the barometer to rise.

32. The "Sophia Joakim," from Saugor to Chitta-
    gong, was, on the 26th, by account, in latitude 21°
    4' N., longitude 91° 2' E., near her destination, with a
    light S.W. wind in the morning, which afterwards
    shifted to S.E. at noon. We find her the next day
    near Akyab, by account, in latitude 20° 40′, longitude
    91° 45′. From this she seems to have made a course
    for Saugor, and on the morning of the 29th en-
    countered a strong south-easterly gale, which con-
    tinued to increase up to midnight, with a falling
    barometer. The "Sophia Joakim" was now in a
    difficult and dangerous position, with a lee shore to
    the north and a cyclone to the south. According to
    Colonel's Reid's rule for lying ships to in a hurricane,
    the best thing to do would seem to have been to
    heave to on the starboard tack. This course was,
    however, probably dangerous on account of the prox-
    imity of the lee shore, and the "Sophia Joakim"
    seems to have been obliged to make a fair wind
    of the cyclone, and to have run before it. Run-
    ning round a cyclone is always dangerous, more
    especially in those of small radius, and it is liable
    to be forgotten that the winds do not revolve
    round the vortex in circles, but along in-moving
    spirals, so that a course before the wind must
    inevitably bring a ship sooner or later to the
    centre. There seems to have been much more sea
    room to the north of the storm than the position of
    the "Sophia Joakim," by account at noon on the
    29th, latitude 20° 38' N., longitude 89° 1' E., would
    indicate. The ship was probably much more to the
    southward. The "King Harold," the "Orchis,"
    and the "West Ridge" were all north of the storm
    on the 30th, and escaped unharmed. At 7 a.m.,
    June 30th, the northern quadrant of the cyclone
    overtook the "Sophia Joakim," the wind blowing
    with hurricane force from E.N.E. At noon the
    wind had fallen lighter from north, the centre
    bearing consequently about E.S.E., latitude by ac-
    count 20° 13' N., longitude by account 88° 38′ E.
    The ship was now near the centre of the cyclone,
    whose position at that hour would hence be deter-
    mined if the position of the ship as given by account
    could be relied on. I think, however, she was fur-
    ther south and east. "After noon the wind fell
    light, and gradually drew round to the N.W.; sea
    very troubled, and great quantities of birds flying
    round the ship. At 4 p.m. wind increased suddenly
    from the N.W." The ship had now got round
    to the south-western quadrant, and the wind con-
    tinued to blow with tremendous fury throughout the
    night and the early morning.

33. About the same time that the storm had over-
    taken the "Sophia Joakim," the "Hindustan"
    encountered its south-eastern quadrant. At noon
    on the 30th the "Hindustan" was by dead reckon-
    ing in latitude 19° 27' N., longitude 89° 16′E. "5 p.m.
    -Barometer 29-25. Strong gale, with very heavy
    squalls. Concluded we were on the S.E. quadrant of
    a cyclone, and slowly following it up. Put ship on
    the other tack. Wind S.S.W.; ship's head S.E."
    This conclusion was undoubtedly correct, and, con-
    sidering the position of the "Sophia Joakim" about
    the same time, it is probable that the position of the
    centre of the cyclone at noon on the 30th was about
    in latitude 20° N., longitude 88° 50′ E., near which
    place I think the storm was generated. I should
    state that I have only got the extract from the log
    of the "Hindustan," which appeared in the
    Englishman of July 4th.

34. The "Walter Bain" appears to have got into
    the cyclone on the evening of the 29th. The wind
    is stated to have veered from W.S.W. to E. and then
    to W. At midnight on the 29th the wind was E.,
    which would show that the ship was on the northern
    quadrant; but how she got there does not clearly
    appear. Probably she was north-east of the storm
    and ran into it, going southwards on the evening of
    the 29th. Her position is altogether unknown.
    From midnight on the 29th until the morning of
    July 1st, she seems to have been in and round the
    storm. At some unknown time the wind was W.,
    showing that she was then on the southern quadrant.

35. The "Champion," shortly after parting from
    anchor N.W. of the Mutlah light, was caught by the
    northern quadrant of the cyclone, on the night of
    June 30th. The wind went round from S.E., which
    had been the prevailing wind, to N.E., which was prob-
    ably the first cyclone wind. The centre of the cyclone
    was then about S.S.E., and the "Champion" was on
    the right hand side of the storm. When the gale in-
    creased the ship was put on the port tack. It was
    probably impossible, or, if possible, dangerous, to put
    her on the other tack. She was then in a most diffi-
    cult position, wedged in between a cyclone to the
    S.S.E., and the shore to the N. The rapidity with
    which she drifted round and before the storm, the wind
    veering through N. and N.W. to S. W., passing prob-
    ably very near the centre, is an instructive example
    of the character of these storms. When a ship can-
    not get out of a cyclone, and is obliged to lie to, the
    well-known rule is :-" When in the right-hand semi-
    circle heave to on the starboard tack, and when in the
    left hand semicircle, on the port tack in both hemi-
    spheres." A ship heaving to in a cyclone on the
    wrong tack must drift into the centre as it passes,
    and be taken back by the veering of the wind. The
    "Champion" went round and before the storm, and
    did get very near the centre. She was abandoned a
    wreck near False Point on the morning of July the
    1st.

36. The loss of the "Rothesay" furnishes an example
    of the danger of putting to sea in weather when the
    pilot vessels must of necessity be all off their stations
    and down to the southward. The ship was obliged to
    beat about the Ridge, apparently in search of a pilot
    vessel, instead of getting to sea with all possible
    despatch, and running south out of the way of
    danger. The cyclone crossed the Ridge on the
    Sunday night, and the "Rothesay" was lost on Mon-
    day morning in Balasore Bay.

37. The loss of the "Omaha" furnishes an ex-
    ample of the danger of pressing northwards coming
    up the Bay with a south-westerly gale and a
    barometer falling rapidly. The only safe course is
    to keep south until the weather improves to the
    northwards and until the barometer rises steadily.

38. The floating light-vessel "Planet" having
    drifted from her station, the Eastern Channel, and
    parted from her anchors about noon on the 30th,