'The Transactions of the Bombay Geographical Society. From December 1854 to March 1856. (New Issue.) Edited by the Secretary. Volume XII.' [‎42] (59/258)

PUOCEEDINGS OF THE SOCIETY.
In comparing the two sets of observations with each other, it will be perceiv
ed that at the commencement, the conclusion, and the middle of the gale,
the corresponding readings differ less than the two standard Barometers of the
Observatory hung side by side often do from each other. The matter is one
of the greatest importance, as it enables us even by observations made in the
Island of Bombay to track the centre of the storm which was thus shown to
have travelled northerly, at the rate probably of fifteen miles an hour. Had
the Observatory’s instruments been read every ten minutes, as they were in
cases of crisis in 1844, if we may judge from the rate of the descent of the mer
cury, the centre of the hurricane passed at 4-10, and not at 4 o’clock, as is as
sumed. The Pottinger’s Barometer reached its minimum at 5, and had
beeun to rise at 5-30—mine may probably have descended to this hour or even
beyond it, I have no readings from 4-40 till 6. At Colaba the most
violent portion of the gale was experienced from the South East, and
it was nearly lull at the change. At Sewree the wind merely slackened
a little, and it was by far the most violent from South West, and that
fully an hour after it is reported to have blown by at the Observatory ;
the difference betwixt the Barometers accordingly is much the greatest at six
a. m., where the mercury at Sewree was -288 lower than at Colaha, nearly
the same, indeed, as the Observatory’s minimum. I do not believe that the
centre of the hurricane passed either over Colaba or Sewree, but am con
vinced that it V4as to the westward of both ; at both places the wind blew for
at least half an hour from south—right under the centre this could not have
occurred. The south-east gale would have been followed at once by one
from south-west, a dead lull intervening—a northerly wind again would indi
cate the centre to have been to the eastward. The Colaba returns are
of very great value, and show most clearly that betwixt Saturday and Wed
nesday we had two perfectly distinct classes of storms to deal with—the first
our ordinary November squalls, the second a well defined revolving hurri
cane. All traces of the first had vanished on Wednesday morning, and ac
cordingly at 9 o’clock the Barometer stood at 29-811 higher than it had been
at any time since the 23th, and this fortunately afforded the means of warn
ing us of what was approaching, and only -OSo lower than its average. The
plunge down of 130 which took place betwixt this and 2 o’clock, combined
with the state of the atmosphere and direction of the wind, added to the fact
that the thunder storms were now over, indicated as clearly as dawn does sun
rise, that mischief was at hand, and that too quite in time to give warnino- to
those who might have benefitted by it. The mean altitude of the Baro
meter for October and November together—and that due to the 1st of the
latter month must be assumed as the mean of the two — is 29-862 • the
mean morning maximum 29-896, so that the mercury which stood at 29-811
on the 1st was just recovering from its thunder storm depression : it fell -179for
the afternoon tide at 4 o’clock, and only rose -007 at 9 p. m., virtually falling
120 in 11 houis. It must be remembered that out of the ei°"ht hurricanes
which have visited the Arabian Sea since 1783, four have occurred in the first
week of November,—that they cross Bombay at an average of 17 or 18 years
and that the last which passed over us, was that of 1837, exactly seventeen
years ago.
1 1 iarbour the , da m a ge done was very great; the Castle Signal Flag
Staff broke across about ten feet above the base, a pretty clear indication
of the force of the gale. The H. C. Steamer Assarje drifted towards the