'Transactions of the Bombay Geographical Society, from September 1850 to June 1852. Edited by the Secretary. Volume X.' [‎56] (77/458)

Ivi
PROCEEDINGS OP THE SOCIETY.
The following letter from Mr. Mel dr urn at the Mauritius, was read
before the Society ;—
Mauritius, l&th April, 1851,
My Dear Sir,
I received the number of the Bombay Times in which you criticise the latest
edition of the Horn-book, and return you many thanks for it* It is, I think, impossible
to know the distance of the centre of a cyclone from the mere indications of the baro
meter, though when it descends to a certain degree, this may perhaps be inferred pretty
nearly* From your I observe that your Geographical Society are to send me some
instructions on the subject of observations. I shall be extremely glad to place myself at
their disposal for such a purpose, and I anxiously wait for instruments, for which, as I said
before, I shall go the length of a few pounds—say d£10. It would be well to send me a
barometer, thermometers, hygrometer, and whatever instruments you may judge
proper, as this is no place to get them in, also registers, and tables of reduction
for the said observations. This is a place where magnetic observations would be of
much interest. It is a place, too, where extraordinary refraction is of frequent occurrence.
There have lately been several remarkable instances of it. Also tidal observations
might be made to great advantage. On these subjects I am writing a letter to our new
Governor, who appears to be a man disposed to encourage whatever might be thought bene
ficial. But in the mean time, I want instruments to make a beginning.
We have had extraordinary weather lately. I send you an account, a confused one
I fear, of the v/eather we had throughout the latter part of March, and of that experi.
enced at sea by three vessels—the Sydney Griffiths, Lord Nelson, and the Blythioood,—
as described in their logs, of which I have been favoured with extracts. It will be
seen that the Griffiths and Blythwood got into the calm centre of a cyclone, and that
all these suffered most severely.
The Blythwood, from Calcutta, towards the Cape I suppose, encountered the hurricane
on the 21st, and was in its centre by noon, the barometer having descended below 28 , 00.
She had the wind from SSE., SE. by E., W., &c. There was a lull of about half an hour.
Her position at that time was about 23° S. and 60° E. On the same day, at 4 p. m. the
Lord Nelson got into the worst of her share of it, in lat. 24*20 S. and long. 60*38 E* The
Griffiths was in the calm centre at 6 p. m. of the 22nd, in lat. 25*4 S. and long. 61-6 E.
and had the wind first from S, SE., ENE., E., and then West, SW*, and SSE.
I have not given all the extracts which I have beside me, as I have no time at present,
and the mail leaving sooner than I expected. My intention is, however, to collect all the
information I can, and condense it into the form of a short memoir, which perhaps could
be printed at Bombay.
The observations made at Port Louis require some explanation. Properly speaking, I
have as yet no instrument of my own; so that I am obliged to have recourse to different
shifts. About eighteen months ago I picked up a French barometer among a number of
instruments lying in the College ; it is a good one, and I keep it in my room, and observe
regulaily with it. Then there is a wheel barometer in the College Library, which I
also observe twice a day, and I had the loan of an Aneroid, With these instruments and
a thei mometer I made the observations in the accompanying paper, with the exception of
the baiometrical ones in the first column, which I received from Mr. Bousquet, who generally
takes a daily observation at 5 p. m., and oftener on extraordinary occasions. This will show
you how much I want instruments : if I had them I should be enabled to give you tkrea