THE NEW ZEALAND GAZETTE. 347

must have run south. She encountered the western
quadrant of the cyclone about 5 p.m. The wind
veered from N.N.E., through N. to W. and W. by S.
She appears to have got out at the southern quadrant
about midnight, without having been very near the
centre, and turned up the next forenoon near False
Point, just in time to save the crew of the sinking
"Champion."

39. The "King Harold," the "Orchis," and the
    "West Ridge" had luckily got to the N.E. before
    the cyclone passed. On the 30th, at noon, the
    position, by account, of the "West Ridge," is given
    as latitude 21° 0'N., longitude 89° 3′E. This would
    place her near the Mutlah light-vessel, the "Comet."
    She had heavy south-westerly gales throughout the
    30th, with terrific squalls; while the "Comet," close
    by, had an east wind blowing with hurricane force.
    It is probable that the "West Ridge" was then
    much more to the south and east. The "Orchis," at
    noon on the 29th, was in latitude 20° 12′ N., longitude
    89° 44′ E., and experienced a heavy gale from S.W.,
    veering to S. She was then east of the cyclone, and
    got away to the north into better weather.

40. The pilot vessels, with the exception of the
    "Foam," at anchor in Saugor Roads, were all well to
    the southward when the storm passed. The "City of
    Madrid," the "Centaur," the "Hindustan," the
    "Carlisle," and the "Scimitar," were south-east.
    The master of the "Scimitar" says:-"The baro-
    meter generally rose when standing to the south-
    east, and fell when standing north-west." This was
    the experience of all the fleet to the S.E., including
    the pilot brigs. The following extract from the log
    of the "City of Madrid" is instructive, and helps to
    determine a point of the cyclone's track:-" 29th,
    8 a.m.-Prepared to wear to the N.W., but as the
    clouds were banking up and looking very bad in
    that direction, deferred it. For the last three days
    it always looked better to the southward. Noon.-
    Weather looking much better; latitude 17° 36′ Ν.,
    longitude 90° 28′ E.; barometer 29.55; wore ship
    to the W.N.W. 4 a.m., 30th.-Blowing very hard
    from S.S.W.; tremendous gusts; barometer 29.33.
    5.30 a.m.-Weather becoming rapidly worse; baro-
    meter 29.22; reduced sail and wore to the southward.
    Just before doing so, ship was caught aback, wind
    west, and back in a few minutes to S.W. 7 a.m.---
    Barometer 29.10; wind, hurricane force; rain in
    torrents. Ran ship off due east, as we considered
    we had approached the centre too close. At 7 a.m.
    latitude by account 19° 6' N., longitude by account
    89° 13' E." The "City of Madrid" seems just to
    have touched the southern quadrant about 6 or 7 in
    the morning, and not far south of the position of the
    centre at noon the same day. The cyclone must
    have been almost stationary, or moving very slowly,
    for some time after its formation. The "Golconda"
    and "Nagpore" were about this time well away to
    the S.W., and experienced heavy S.W. gales.

41. In conclusion of this examination of such
    extracts of logs of ships as I have been able to obtain,
    I find that the vortex of the Balasore cyclone of 1st
    July, 1872, was formed on the night of 29th June or
    morning of the 30th June, at or about latitude 19°
    50′ N., longitude 89° E. For some time after its
    formation it seems to have been almost stationary.
    It moved afterwards with a velocity of about ten
    miles an hour, as it passed the Pilot Ridge between
    8 o'clock and midnight of the 30th. I have already
    described its course in the north-west corner of the
    Bay. It is probable that previous to the formation
    of this vortex, another distinct vortex had been
    formed on the 28th in about the same place; but it
    appears to have been almost stationary, and to have
    broken up on the morning of the 29th.

42. A slight storm wave was felt in the Hooghly.

The tides at Diamond Harbour and Kidderpore
Dockyard rose about 4 feet above the average on 1st
July. This I find from a tidal chart kindly lent to
me by Captain Falle. From reports of damage caused
by inundations of salt water, there appears to have
been a storm wave felt somewhere south of Balasore.
I have no information about it.*

43. It may be well here to draw attention to those
    indications of the formation of a cyclonic vortex in
    the north of the Bay, and some of the laws of such
    storms (determined by the researches and experience
    of Mr. Blanford, Colonel Gastrell, and others), which
    appear to have been specially verified by the experi-
    ence of the late cyclone. These are all practical
    rules, and are independent of the various theories
    which may be set forward by different persons to
    attempt to account for the formation and course of a
    cyclone.

44. Indications of the probable formation of a cyclone
    in the north of the Bay during the months of May and
    June :-

(1.) The barometer falls steadily for some
days round the north of the Bay. The
fall occurs first to the south-east at Chit-
tagong and Akyab, and afterwards at
Saugor Island, Cuttack, and Calcutta.
The barometer at Saugor Island ranges
lower than the barometer at Calcutta
(normally, at this season, it ranges
higher).

(2.) At Calcutta the winds become light and
variable from S.E. round to N.E. As the
disturbance increases, masses of clouds
drift from E.N.E. or N.E., and as the
storm approaches, showers are frequent
and the wind blows in gusts.

(3.) At Saugor Island the winds are at first
light and variable, working round from
S.E. to N.E. As the disturbance increases,
and as the storm approaches, the baro-
meter continues to fall steadily; the wind
increases in force, with squalls from the
N.E., and masses of clouds float rapidly
from the same direction. Outside there
is a heavy southerly swell.

(4.) At Cuttack, or False Point, the winds
are at first light and variable from N.N.E.,
working gradually round through N. to
W.and W.S.W. As the storm approaches,
the wind increases in force, with squalls
from W. and N.N.W.

(5.) At Chittagong the winds are light and
very variable, mostly from S.E. and N.E.

(6.) At Akyab the winds are at first light and
saturated with moisture, mostly from S.
and S.E. As the disturbance increases,
the wind increases in force, and works
gradually round from S.E. to S. and
S.S.W.

(7.) In the Bay, along and south of a line
drawn from about False Point to Cheduba
Island, south-westerly gales, accompanied
with torrents of rain, prevail. Standing
northwards the barometer falls, and rises
when standing southwards.

45. Under the circumstances above specified (3),
    it appears unwise for ships in a good anchorage at
    Saugor to put to sea. The great danger is that they
    may be caught in a cyclone before they have got sea
    room to avoid it. Moreover, the pilot vessels will,
    under the circumstances, be generally off their sta-
    tions, and ships will be unable to land their pilots.
    It should be remembered also that generally the

• I have since heard that there were freshets in the river at
  Balasore. The lands were partially inundated, but the water
  subsided at 6 p.m.