'Transactions of the Bombay Geographical Society, from January 1847 to May 1849. Edited by the Secretary. Volume VIII.' [‎21] (124/496)

■ ve s were overt
1 boats; and mj
? great privatioi,
sion of the ste
he vortex at 11
of Ceylon, its oi'
er the Htli, i
iz.
Direction,
N.N.W.|W.
N.N.W.|W.
N.N.W.p'
N.by W.|"'
Northerly
»
V
21
apparently decreases from the centre towards the exterior in such re
gular gradation that one vessel will be lying to under bare poles near
the former position, while another will be carrying top-gallant sails at
the latter; and others will be under canvas according to the interme
diate distances which they may chance to occupy between the two.
Perhaps this comprehensive view may be objected to by rigid stick
lers for the accepted meaning of the terms storm, hurricane, and ty
phoon. Yet, scientifically considered, we fear there is no alternative
but to speak of the whole mass of atmosphere involved in a circular
movement round a stormy vortex, as one phenomenon, whether as a
gentle breeze at the periphery or blowing with the violence of a ty
phoon near the focus,—provided these are in conformity with the com
mon centre. It certainly would be a far more easy task to coin a word
expressive of the whole, than to explain the nature of the connexion
that clearly exists between the external and internal parts of a gyrat
ing disc of air. It is not the least curious part of the subject, that at
800 or 900 miles on every side of the moving focus, the atmosphe
ric currents were blowing round it with greater or less strength and
steadiness, and apparently little influenced by land or sea, lofty
mountains or jungly plains.
Thus, while the stormy centre was skirting along the west coast of
India, Northerly winds prevailed in the Arabian sea; Westerly, near
Ceylon and the equator ; Southerly and S.E., in the Bay of Bengal ;
and Easterly, in Scinde and upper Bengal. From whatever interme
diate point, around or within this vast circle, we have any account
of the wind, it is found not to have veered more than a point or two
from its relative direction to the common centre, except near the coasts,
where the land and sea breezes occasionally disturbed its uniformity.
The diameter of the most violent and dangerous part was not much
more than two hundred miles, while that of the great circuit within
our cognizance was nearly fifteen hundred miles. In its early stages,
however, it appears to have embraced the coast of Ceylon on one side,
and the Maldives at the other.
or
hurric^' ^
.ence
of tie #
Focus ,—With regard to the central calm, or focus, that appalls the
sternest mind far more than the wildest fury of the hurricane by
which it is encircled, we have little information beyond the fact of
its existence. When it passed over the Buchinghamshire, on the after
noon of the 18th, its diameter appears to have been about nineteen
miles ; assuming that the storm was travelling at the rate of nine and