'Transactions of the Bombay Geographical Society, from January 1847 to May 1849. Edited by the Secretary. Volume VIII.' [‎13] (116/496)

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As the very focus of the gale passed over this fine vessel within a
few hours after noon of this day, we think it better to give a few
extracts from the log-book, as likely to convey a truthful idea of the
nature and force of the centre of a disc of atmosphere in violent
gyration. This, properly speaking, ought to have been recorded
under the head of next day, as we have adopted nautical and astrono
mical time for the purpose of illustrating the diurnal progression of
the gale, but we think it will be more effective here :—
“ At thirty minutes P. M. the ship broached to. The mizenmast
“ was cut away, and the vessel kept before the gale. At forty-five
“ niinutes p. M., the wind increasing to a perfect hurricane.
“ At one P. M. the foremast fell over to starboard. A most
“ furious gust blew away the mainmast near the deck, and tore away
“ the quarter boats, the starboard or large cutter flying across the
“poop. The violence of the wind was indescribable; everything
“ exposed to its fury being blown away. The poop ports having been
“ forced in by the strength of the wind, the bulkhead of the cuddy
“ was also blown down, destroying the Barometers and everything in
“ the cabin. The ship labouring excessively, and everything on deck
“ adrift or destroyed, &c. The crew unable to stand on their legs
u or to hear one another speak, and exposed to great danger, from
“ the stunning force of the wind. The fore and mainmasts got under
“ the ship’s bottom, and the mizenmast endangering the rudder ; all
“ violently tearing off the copper.
“ At 2 p. m. it suddenly fell calm, but the sympiesometer indicated
u favourable change, continuing as low as 28*08. During the calm,
“got the wreck of the masts cut clear of the vessel. The ship
“ covered with aquatic birds, of which thousands were dying on the
“ deck. About 4 p. m. the wind that had ceased at E.S.E. or East,
“ began to blow with equal fury at West North West. The ship
was again quickly enveloped in the sea, and laboured with a violence
“that nothing could resist. At 9 P M. wind abating, and the sym
piesometer at 28*96. Three and a half feet water in the hold. At
midnight the gale moderating at West, and the sympiesometer
“ at 29.”
The terrible effects of the vortex of a hurricane on a 1,400 ton ship
are thus vividly pourtrayed in the simple but effective words of an
eye-witness. The increasing intensity of the wind, suddenly termi-