and so important is a better study
of it considered, that in the autumn of
eighteen hundred and fifty-three, a, Maritime
Conference was held at Brussels, by delegates
from the leading nations of Europe and the
United States, for the purpose of devising
some general and uniform system of observation
at sea, to be carried on by the public
and private ships of all countries. Already,
however, much has been accomplished. Our
present acquaintance with the Wind-roads,
and the Law of Storms, has been the means
of shortening ship's passages in most parts of
the world to an astonishing extent, aided, no
doubt, by the progressive science of the shipbuilder ;
so much so, indeed, that our Liverpool
clipper-ships are beating steam-vessels
on the Australian voyage. It is scarcely
possible to say how many valuable ships, or
how much human life has been saved.

In the high northern latitudes in which we
live, storms such as sweep over many parts
of the earth and sea, are unknown.  At
certain seasons of the year, our islands are
visited with severe gales of wind, which cause
much havoc amongst our coasting vessels, and
some damage to property on land; but this
is nothing compared with the terrible effects
of a cyclone, a typhoon, or a hurricane in the
Bay of Bengal, the China Seas, or amongst
the West India Islands?

The fearful rotary storms of wind which
frequently occur within the tropics, lose much
of their violence in passing over the land;
yet, the ruin and devastation occasioned by
them there, is of a terrible character. In one
hurricane which passed over Madras a few
years since, a thousand houses were injured or
destroyed, many lives lost, nine thousand sheep,
and nearly three thousand horses and cattle
perished, besides several villages which were
entirely swept away, leaving no records
whatever. A similar calamity happened at
Coringa in eighteen hundred and thirty-nine,
when twenty thousand of the inhabitants
were said to have perished, besides an
incredible number of cattle and stock. Sixty
native vessels at anchor in the roads disappeared
within half-an-hour, with all their
crews, whilst one or two sloops were carried
by the united force of the wind and waters to
a distance of five miles inland. In eighteen
hundred and fifty-three one of these cyclones
swept over a portion of Bengal, marking its
comparatively narrow track with the ruins of
many villages and the bodies of hundreds of
natives. The houses were smashed into
minute fragments: there was scarcely anything
left as large as a brick; and it seemed
as though the car of Juggernath had passed
its ponderous wheels over those ill-fated villages.
Men were found with their brains
dashed out against trees or rocks. Some had
been blown against broken bamboos and
impaled on their sharp points. Women and
children were torn limb from limb, as though
by wild beasts; whilst doors, furniture, and
other wooden articles, were shivered and
splintered into fragments as completely as
though cut up by axes. All this was wrought
by the mere force of the wind. It occurred
many miles inland, away from any sea or
river. At the Mauritius, hurricanes are of
almost annual occurrence during the first four
months of the year. The effect of some of
these has been very remarkable. A ship of
eight hundred tons burthen, loaded with
cargo, was blown high and dry upon land,
many yards from the influence of the sea.
Portions of iron machinery, weighing many
hundred weights, were in like manner hoisted
from their positions and flung through the air
for a hundred yards. Cattle were lifted from
their legs, caught up in the whirlwind, and
carried across many fields.

These hurricanes are not only more violent
on the open seas: but present themselves
there with more terrific features. We
have, in our time, been in two of these
fearful storms.  In one, the sky and sea took
a blood-red tinge, although the hurricane
had then well nigh passed over. In the
other, near the Bay of Bengal, a ship under
bare poles, was laid on her beam ends; the
wind roared like one continuous peal of
thunder, whilst the air was filled with the
foaming crests of many waves torn into blinding
spray.  We have heard of a ship having
its foremast snapped off at the deck, carried
aloft by the whirl of the cyclone, and then
dropped upon the fore-hatch through which
it forced its way, and so became fixed tightly
during the rest of the gale. It is not uncommon
to hear of ships' boats being blown
away from their fastenings and carried aloft
into the rigging; or of poop-ladders torn
from their staples and smashed; or sails
whilst closely furled, being blown away from
their yards in shreds.

If these cyclones are to be dreaded in the
midst of the open ocean, how much more
dangerous must they be to ships in a road-stead,
or under a lee-shore — that is to say,
with the first burst of the gale blowing
dead on the land. There is the record of a
typhoon in the China seas in which every
native craft along the coast was lost except
one. Not fewer than a hundred thousand
persons perished afloat and ashore.

Fortunately for navigators, the barometer
gives timely warning of the approach of such
storms; and in all open ports or harbours in
hurricane countries frequented by British
shipping the captains of vessels in the roads
have early intimation of any signs of bad
weather. Signals are hoisted on shore either
to make all snug and let go a second anchor,
or to slip cable and put to sea, in order to
get clear of the coast before it be too late.
In this way, and with the invaluable
assistance of the Horn-book of Storms, hundreds
of fine ships are annually saved which
would, otherwise, have been lost or seriously
damaged.