'Transactions of the Bombay Geographical Society, from January 1847 to May 1849. Edited by the Secretary. Volume VIII.' [‎38] (141/496)

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might then keep to the westward of the vortex and escape its great
est violence without making too free with the Laccadives. Nor would
the danger be very great near those reefs, because the winds would be
northerly and N.W. as soon as it had passed.—So far, these comments
on the means of avoiding any future and similar storms which may
recur on the Malabar coast, have been wholly confined to the case of
vessels going south and meeting it in their teeth, with land or shoals
on both sides of the channel.
Ships overtaking the Storm ,—A ship coming in contact with such
a gale on its Western or Southern borders, can with great ease al
ways keep out of harm's way. In the former case the N.E., North, and
North W., winds will be available to lead her to the Southward till
the veering of the wind indicates the passage of the storm to the
Northward. The H. C. Steamer Sesostris entered the western side
of the late gale, but being bound to Cannanore, the focus passed
between her and the land before she got in shore. Had her course
been to Bombay, she must either have hove to, or, by continuing her
voyage, have been endangered by getting too near to the vortex. The
Swithamley also got into the west side of the stormy circle, but, like
a wise man, her commander, on finding the weather hourly getting
worse as he kept on his course to N.E., put the ship about to S.W.;
and by doing so invariably found the wind to decrease. He thus
escaped the perils that lay between him and his destined port, till
they passed away.
The Ceylon Island seems to have been on the east side of the
vortex when it passed her on the 15th, half way between Colombo
and Cape Comorin. This vessel subsequently followed in its wake,
making & fair wind of tne South West winds at its after half.
Being a slow sailer she gradually dropped behind the gale, however.
S e came all the way from “ Colombo to Mai wan under bare poles”!
A faster vessel, if not cautiously managed, might have run some
danger of overtaking the gale.
As a general rule is as easy to be understood as to be complied
wi vesse s, after crossing the equator and bound to any of the
nor ern parts of the Arabian sea, or the Persian Gulph, ought,
on finding the Barometer falling, the wind increasing to a gale at
, . ’ ccom panied by incessant heavy rain, and “ a cross sea,” to
gm o suspect that they are running into a circular gale. By b"