Narrative of the surveying voyages of his majesty's ships Adventure and Beagle (vol.2): between the years 1826 and 1836 : describing their examination of the southern shores of South America, and the Beagles's circumnavigation of the globe

1836. SEXTANT STORMS — SAIL. 637 my own invention, if I did not feel certain that seamen will find it useful, and that somebody ought to tell them of it, for their own sake. (These sextants were made by Worthington.) I was informed by the residents that between October and April, they are occasionally visited by severe gales of wind, at times almost hurricanes, so strong as to root up trees, strip the leaves off others, and unroof or blow down houses. These storms begin between south-east and south, and when they abate draw towards the west (by the south) there ending. For those who take interest in the course of storms I subjoin ex- tracts from Mr. Ross's Journal given to me by Leisk.* Earth- quakes have been felt several times, I was told by Mr. Leisk, but I could get only one extract from the Journal which mentioned a shock.-f- On the 12th we sailed, carrying a good sea-stock of cocoa- nuts, pigs, poultry, pumpkins, and turtle. Maize and sugar- cane might have been had, if wanted. We first went round the northern Keeling : — on this island, about a mile across and but a few feet above the ocean, two English vessels have been lost since 1825, and probably other ships met a similar fate * " April 4th, 1835. Wind south, blowing very hard all daj-, with a hard cloudy sky. 5th. Blowing heavily from the same point ; with rain. 6th. Wind S.E. still blowing heavily, with rain. 7th. Wind increasing, at midnight the tops of many trees blown off; trees falling, and roofs of houses suffering, wind still S.E. At two a.m. on the 8th wind south; several houses laid flat ; excessive thunder and lightning, with torrents of rain. About three a.m. the storm abating, and drawing to the west; at four, moderate west wind. 9th. N.W. light breeze, clear weather ; went with a party (Mr. Ross, Leisk, &c.) to South-East Bay (inside South- East Island), found the bay strewed with dead fish of all sorts and sizes, which we supposed to have been killed by the fresh water. Numbers of trees blown down every where, and the earth cut through in many places by the runs of rain-water." On the 26th of November 1835, a south-east gale increased almost to a hurricane, causing similar effects, though less in number, because it lasted only two hours, and then ended by shifting to the westward, and moderating. t That notice says, " May 25, 1830, weather calm and sultry, light N.E. breeze : about 1-30 a.m. an earthquake, of a rocking description, was felt. It continued about three minutes, and made our wooden house reel and strain considerably."