Narrative of the Voyage of H.M.S. Rattlesnake, Commanded By the Late Captain Owe - Volume 1 - John MacGillivray (feel good books to read TXT) 📗
- Author: John MacGillivray
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appear however that the dry season, characterised by the prevalence of the south-east trade, usually terminates in November, the change having for some time previous been indicated by calms, light winds, sometimes from the westward, a gloomy unsettled appearance in the weather, and occasional showers-violent squalls of wind and rain are frequent about this time until the westerly breezes set in, when the weather becomes moderate with frequent rain, occasionally very heavy, and intervals, often of many days duration, of dry weather. In the month of March the south-east trade usually resumes its former influence, the change being often attended with the same thick squally weather, and perhaps a gale from the north-west, which ushered in the westerly monsoon.
(*Footnote. The natives of the neighbouring Prince of Wales Island distinguish the dry season (aibu or the fine weather) the wet (kuki or the North-West wind which then prevails) and the period of change (malgui) equivalent to our Spring and Autumn.)
WINDS.
Our own experience of the winds during our last stay at Cape York, at the period when the change of the monsoon was to be expected, may be summed up as follows. During the month of October the trade-wind prevailed, keeping pretty steady at East-South-East, and generally blowing rather strongly, with hazy weather and an occasional shower. For three days in the middle of the month we experienced light north-westerly winds dying away again in the evening, and on the 25th a violent squall from the same quarter accompanied by very heavy rain rendered it expedient that the ship should next day be moved a cable's length further offshore. During the four last days in the month we had calms and light winds from the northward of east, as if the trade were about to cease, but it commenced afresh and continued until the 26th of November, generally very moderate, with fine weather. During the last six days of our stay we had light airs from about North-West, succeeded in the evening by a slight puff of south-easterly wind followed by a calm lasting all night. Last year, during the month of October, we experienced no northerly or westerly winds, but a moderate trade prevailed throughout, pretty steady at East-South-East, but varying much in strength.
TEMPERATURE.
In a place situated like Cape York, only about 640 miles distant from the equator, the atmospheric temperature may be expected to be very high; still the heat, although occasionally very oppressive for a time, caused very different sensations from those experienced during the almost stifling calms of Port Essington. At Cape York, however, calms seldom lasted above a few hours, as from its peninsular position the land receives the full influence of nearly every breeze. An abstract of the thermometrical observations made on board the Rattlesnake shows the following results:
COLUMN 1: DATE. COLUMN 2: AVERAGE TEMPERATURE IN DEGREES AND MINUTES. COLUMN 3: AVERAGE MAXIMUM TEMPERATURE IN DEGREES AND MINUTES. COLUMN 4: AVERAGE MINIMUM TEMPERATURE IN DEGREES AND MINUTES.
October 1848 : 81 : 85 : 77 5. October 1849 : 81 : 83 8 : 78 7. November 1849 : 81 9 : 84 8 : 79.
During the above period, the highest and lowest temperatures recorded by the self-registering maximum and minimum thermometer are, for October 1848, 88 and 73 degrees; for October 1849, 83.8 .and 77 degrees; and for November 1849, 88 and 76 degrees.
...
APPENDIX 1.
OBSERVATIONS ON THE TEMPERATURE OF THE SEA, MADE DURING THE VOYAGE OF H.M.S. RATTLESNAKE, DECEMBER 1846 TO JULY 1847,
BY LIEUTENANT J. DAYMAN, R.N. LIEUTENANT AND ASSISTANT SURVEYOR.
COLUMN 1: DATE. COLUMN 2: POSITION OF SHIP. LATITUDE IN DEGREES AND MINUTES. COLUMN 3: POSITION OF SHIP. LONGITUDE IN DEGREES AND MINUTES. COLUMN 4: TEMPERATURE OF AIR. COLUMN 5: TEMPERATURE OF SEA. SURFACE. COLUMN 6: TEMPERATURE OF SEA. DEPTH IN FATHOMS. COLUMN 7: TEMPERATURE OF SEA. DEPTH IN FATHOMS.
1846 December 17 : 34 52 N : 16 24 W : 59 : 61 : 61 132. December 28 : 28 34 : 18 38 : 66 : 67 : 63 130. December 30 : 23 22 : 20 58 : 68 : 69 : 66 66 : 61 190. December 31 : 21 13 : 22 1 : 66 : 71 : 61 193. 1847 January 1 : 18 40 : 23 18 : 68 : 73 : 70 78 : 57 178. January 2 : 15 28 : 23 22 : 72 : 73 : 53 180. January 3 : 8 55 : 22 38 : 78 : 82 : 59 191. January 5 : 6 28 : 22 39 : 82 : 84 : 51 185. January 6 : 5 54 : 22 34 : 79 : 82 : 50 361. January 7 : 5 8 : 22 19 : 82 : 83 : 49 340. January 12 : 1 5 : 22 32 : 77 : 83 : 52 335. January 14 : 2 37 S : 26 15 : 79 : 80 : 53 268. January 15 : 5 9 : 27 51 : 78 : 80 : 54 153 : 60 293. January 16 : 7 55 : 29 11 : 79 : 80 : 53 183 : 47 273. January 17 : 12 49 : 32 23 : 79 : 81 : 80 59. January 19 : 15 5 : 34 44 : 79 : 80 : 59 226 : 62 317. January 20 : 17 48 : 36 20 : 80 : 81 : 67 132. January 21 : 20 10 : 37 58 : 78 : 80 : 59 146 : 50 306. February 4 : 26 7 : 40 30 : 66 : 77 : 60 231 : 51 351. February 5 : 27 21 : 38 1 : 73 : 76 : 65 182 : 51 342. February 8 : 30 52 : 36 48 : 71 : 73 : 61 200 : 51 360. February 9 : 33 22 : 36 54 : 68 : 70 : 60 184 : 50 324. February 10 : 35 21 : 35 31 : 68 : 68 : 62 168 : 49 309. February 12 : 37 20 : 30 58 : 69 : 66 : 57 205 : 45 355. February 13 : 36 50 : 27 50 : 66 : 66 : 62 215 : 45 370. February 15 : 36 31 : 24 7 : 63 : 64 : 58 194 : 45 339. February 16 : 36 7 : 21 4 : 59 : 66 : 55 196 : 47 336. February 17 : 35 30 : 19 34 : 64 : 69 : 58 215 : 51 366. February 18 : 36 47 : 18 47 : 64 : 68 : 57 128 : 50 257. February 19 : 38 7 : 16 43 : 65 : 63 : 48 370. February 21 : 37 54 : 10 28 : 59 : 62 : 53 205 : 43 345. February 23 : 36 54 : 4 53 : 62 : 67 : 61 205 : 48 345. February 24 : 34 42 : 4 15 : 69 : 70 : 51 364 : 44 650. February 25 : 35 28 : 3 6 : 68 : 69 : 54 195 : 46 335. February 26 : 36 57 : 1 31 : 65 : 67 : 53 195 : 49 335. February 27 : 38 22 : 0 28 : 64 : 62 : 55 192 : 45 338. March 1 : 38 25 : 4 1 E : 56 : 55 : 48 195 : 44 335. March 3 : 36 47 : 10 24 : 63 : 66 : 54 208 : 46 348. March 4 : 36 41 : 12 1 : 66 : 64 : 55 188 : 46 328. March 5 : 36 22 : 13 40 : 66 : 68 : 52 217 : 46 367. March 6 : 36 24 : 14 42 : 71 : 70 : 65 147 : 56 284. April 13 : 36 17 : 26 43 : 61 : 68 : 62 215 : 60 360. April 14 : 36 53 : 27 49 : 66 : 69 : 65 215 : 56 360. April 15 : 38 10 : 29 39 : 67 : 69 : 67 205 : 58 350. April 16 : 38 8 : 32 54 : 69 : 69 : 64 128 : 60 278. April 19 : 37 49 : 39 50 : 64 : 59 : 51 266 : 53 316. April 21 : 38 13 : 45 36 : 66 : 60 : 55 158 : 52 293. April 24 : 34 24 : 54 14 : 60 : 64 : 60 157 : 58 287. April 26 : 30 13 : 56 50 : 65 : 71 : 61 162 : 60 283. April 27 : 28 16 : 57 18 : 70 : 73 : 60 210 : 57 360. April 28 : 26 56 : 57 31 : 70 : 74 : 60 200 : 57 350. May 1 : 25 48 : 61 6 : 74 : - : 62 165 : 59 320. May 3 : 20 42 : 58 47 : 76 : 77 : 74 140 : 57 300. May 18 : 21 53 : 56 45 : 77 : 77 : 63 182. May 19 : 24 16 : 56 58 : 76 : 75 : 71 182. May 20 : 26 9 : 58 45 : 74 : 71 : 63 140 : 73 360. May 21 : 27 36 : 61 9 : 69 : 73 : 54 333. May 22 : 28 6 : 63 30 : 68 : 69 : 53 300. May 24 : 28 1 : 67 28 : 67 : 69 : 54 286. May 25 : 29 49 : 67 14 : 66 : 66 : 54 360. May 26 : 32 4 : 68 6 : 65 : 65 : 55 340. May 27 : 33 48 : 70 11 : 63 : 63 : 54 350. May 28 : 35 33 : 72 6 : 61 : 60 : 55 350. May 29 : 36 6 : 74 15 : 60 : 59 : 52 350. June 1 : 35 0 : 80 56 : 61 : 59 : 55 346. June 6 : 36 42 : 97 54 : 55 : 56 : 51 320. June 12 : 39 57 : 118 0 : 48 : 54 : 45 320. June 14 : 40 46 : 123 26 : 49 : 53 : 48 380. July 9 : 15 miles East of Cape Pillar, Van Diemen's Land : 53 : 55 : 48 375.
APPENDIX 2.
ABSTRACTS OF MERIDIAN DISTANCES MEASURED DURING THE VOYAGE OF H.M.S. RATTLESNAKE, 1847 TO 1850, BY CAPTAIN OWEN STANLEY, R.N., F.R.S., AND LIEUTENANT C.B. YULE, R.N.
The following pages contain abstracts of the meridian distances measured in H.M. Surveying Ship Rattlesnake and her tender the Bramble, in the survey of the Inner Route through Torres Strait, the Louisiade Archipelago, and the South-east Coast of New Guinea, during the years 1847, 1848, 1849 and 1850, under the command of the late Captain Owen Stanley, R.N. F.R.S.
The first three columns require no explanation.
The fourth (interval of days) is the elapsed time between the last day at the first station and first day at the second.
The seventh (meridian distance in arc) is the result of the particular measurement specified between the two places named.
The eighth (mean meridian distance from Sydney) is that deduced by a mean value of two or more distances by the same T.K.'s, and in some instances
(*Footnote. The natives of the neighbouring Prince of Wales Island distinguish the dry season (aibu or the fine weather) the wet (kuki or the North-West wind which then prevails) and the period of change (malgui) equivalent to our Spring and Autumn.)
WINDS.
Our own experience of the winds during our last stay at Cape York, at the period when the change of the monsoon was to be expected, may be summed up as follows. During the month of October the trade-wind prevailed, keeping pretty steady at East-South-East, and generally blowing rather strongly, with hazy weather and an occasional shower. For three days in the middle of the month we experienced light north-westerly winds dying away again in the evening, and on the 25th a violent squall from the same quarter accompanied by very heavy rain rendered it expedient that the ship should next day be moved a cable's length further offshore. During the four last days in the month we had calms and light winds from the northward of east, as if the trade were about to cease, but it commenced afresh and continued until the 26th of November, generally very moderate, with fine weather. During the last six days of our stay we had light airs from about North-West, succeeded in the evening by a slight puff of south-easterly wind followed by a calm lasting all night. Last year, during the month of October, we experienced no northerly or westerly winds, but a moderate trade prevailed throughout, pretty steady at East-South-East, but varying much in strength.
TEMPERATURE.
In a place situated like Cape York, only about 640 miles distant from the equator, the atmospheric temperature may be expected to be very high; still the heat, although occasionally very oppressive for a time, caused very different sensations from those experienced during the almost stifling calms of Port Essington. At Cape York, however, calms seldom lasted above a few hours, as from its peninsular position the land receives the full influence of nearly every breeze. An abstract of the thermometrical observations made on board the Rattlesnake shows the following results:
COLUMN 1: DATE. COLUMN 2: AVERAGE TEMPERATURE IN DEGREES AND MINUTES. COLUMN 3: AVERAGE MAXIMUM TEMPERATURE IN DEGREES AND MINUTES. COLUMN 4: AVERAGE MINIMUM TEMPERATURE IN DEGREES AND MINUTES.
October 1848 : 81 : 85 : 77 5. October 1849 : 81 : 83 8 : 78 7. November 1849 : 81 9 : 84 8 : 79.
During the above period, the highest and lowest temperatures recorded by the self-registering maximum and minimum thermometer are, for October 1848, 88 and 73 degrees; for October 1849, 83.8 .and 77 degrees; and for November 1849, 88 and 76 degrees.
...
APPENDIX 1.
OBSERVATIONS ON THE TEMPERATURE OF THE SEA, MADE DURING THE VOYAGE OF H.M.S. RATTLESNAKE, DECEMBER 1846 TO JULY 1847,
BY LIEUTENANT J. DAYMAN, R.N. LIEUTENANT AND ASSISTANT SURVEYOR.
COLUMN 1: DATE. COLUMN 2: POSITION OF SHIP. LATITUDE IN DEGREES AND MINUTES. COLUMN 3: POSITION OF SHIP. LONGITUDE IN DEGREES AND MINUTES. COLUMN 4: TEMPERATURE OF AIR. COLUMN 5: TEMPERATURE OF SEA. SURFACE. COLUMN 6: TEMPERATURE OF SEA. DEPTH IN FATHOMS. COLUMN 7: TEMPERATURE OF SEA. DEPTH IN FATHOMS.
1846 December 17 : 34 52 N : 16 24 W : 59 : 61 : 61 132. December 28 : 28 34 : 18 38 : 66 : 67 : 63 130. December 30 : 23 22 : 20 58 : 68 : 69 : 66 66 : 61 190. December 31 : 21 13 : 22 1 : 66 : 71 : 61 193. 1847 January 1 : 18 40 : 23 18 : 68 : 73 : 70 78 : 57 178. January 2 : 15 28 : 23 22 : 72 : 73 : 53 180. January 3 : 8 55 : 22 38 : 78 : 82 : 59 191. January 5 : 6 28 : 22 39 : 82 : 84 : 51 185. January 6 : 5 54 : 22 34 : 79 : 82 : 50 361. January 7 : 5 8 : 22 19 : 82 : 83 : 49 340. January 12 : 1 5 : 22 32 : 77 : 83 : 52 335. January 14 : 2 37 S : 26 15 : 79 : 80 : 53 268. January 15 : 5 9 : 27 51 : 78 : 80 : 54 153 : 60 293. January 16 : 7 55 : 29 11 : 79 : 80 : 53 183 : 47 273. January 17 : 12 49 : 32 23 : 79 : 81 : 80 59. January 19 : 15 5 : 34 44 : 79 : 80 : 59 226 : 62 317. January 20 : 17 48 : 36 20 : 80 : 81 : 67 132. January 21 : 20 10 : 37 58 : 78 : 80 : 59 146 : 50 306. February 4 : 26 7 : 40 30 : 66 : 77 : 60 231 : 51 351. February 5 : 27 21 : 38 1 : 73 : 76 : 65 182 : 51 342. February 8 : 30 52 : 36 48 : 71 : 73 : 61 200 : 51 360. February 9 : 33 22 : 36 54 : 68 : 70 : 60 184 : 50 324. February 10 : 35 21 : 35 31 : 68 : 68 : 62 168 : 49 309. February 12 : 37 20 : 30 58 : 69 : 66 : 57 205 : 45 355. February 13 : 36 50 : 27 50 : 66 : 66 : 62 215 : 45 370. February 15 : 36 31 : 24 7 : 63 : 64 : 58 194 : 45 339. February 16 : 36 7 : 21 4 : 59 : 66 : 55 196 : 47 336. February 17 : 35 30 : 19 34 : 64 : 69 : 58 215 : 51 366. February 18 : 36 47 : 18 47 : 64 : 68 : 57 128 : 50 257. February 19 : 38 7 : 16 43 : 65 : 63 : 48 370. February 21 : 37 54 : 10 28 : 59 : 62 : 53 205 : 43 345. February 23 : 36 54 : 4 53 : 62 : 67 : 61 205 : 48 345. February 24 : 34 42 : 4 15 : 69 : 70 : 51 364 : 44 650. February 25 : 35 28 : 3 6 : 68 : 69 : 54 195 : 46 335. February 26 : 36 57 : 1 31 : 65 : 67 : 53 195 : 49 335. February 27 : 38 22 : 0 28 : 64 : 62 : 55 192 : 45 338. March 1 : 38 25 : 4 1 E : 56 : 55 : 48 195 : 44 335. March 3 : 36 47 : 10 24 : 63 : 66 : 54 208 : 46 348. March 4 : 36 41 : 12 1 : 66 : 64 : 55 188 : 46 328. March 5 : 36 22 : 13 40 : 66 : 68 : 52 217 : 46 367. March 6 : 36 24 : 14 42 : 71 : 70 : 65 147 : 56 284. April 13 : 36 17 : 26 43 : 61 : 68 : 62 215 : 60 360. April 14 : 36 53 : 27 49 : 66 : 69 : 65 215 : 56 360. April 15 : 38 10 : 29 39 : 67 : 69 : 67 205 : 58 350. April 16 : 38 8 : 32 54 : 69 : 69 : 64 128 : 60 278. April 19 : 37 49 : 39 50 : 64 : 59 : 51 266 : 53 316. April 21 : 38 13 : 45 36 : 66 : 60 : 55 158 : 52 293. April 24 : 34 24 : 54 14 : 60 : 64 : 60 157 : 58 287. April 26 : 30 13 : 56 50 : 65 : 71 : 61 162 : 60 283. April 27 : 28 16 : 57 18 : 70 : 73 : 60 210 : 57 360. April 28 : 26 56 : 57 31 : 70 : 74 : 60 200 : 57 350. May 1 : 25 48 : 61 6 : 74 : - : 62 165 : 59 320. May 3 : 20 42 : 58 47 : 76 : 77 : 74 140 : 57 300. May 18 : 21 53 : 56 45 : 77 : 77 : 63 182. May 19 : 24 16 : 56 58 : 76 : 75 : 71 182. May 20 : 26 9 : 58 45 : 74 : 71 : 63 140 : 73 360. May 21 : 27 36 : 61 9 : 69 : 73 : 54 333. May 22 : 28 6 : 63 30 : 68 : 69 : 53 300. May 24 : 28 1 : 67 28 : 67 : 69 : 54 286. May 25 : 29 49 : 67 14 : 66 : 66 : 54 360. May 26 : 32 4 : 68 6 : 65 : 65 : 55 340. May 27 : 33 48 : 70 11 : 63 : 63 : 54 350. May 28 : 35 33 : 72 6 : 61 : 60 : 55 350. May 29 : 36 6 : 74 15 : 60 : 59 : 52 350. June 1 : 35 0 : 80 56 : 61 : 59 : 55 346. June 6 : 36 42 : 97 54 : 55 : 56 : 51 320. June 12 : 39 57 : 118 0 : 48 : 54 : 45 320. June 14 : 40 46 : 123 26 : 49 : 53 : 48 380. July 9 : 15 miles East of Cape Pillar, Van Diemen's Land : 53 : 55 : 48 375.
APPENDIX 2.
ABSTRACTS OF MERIDIAN DISTANCES MEASURED DURING THE VOYAGE OF H.M.S. RATTLESNAKE, 1847 TO 1850, BY CAPTAIN OWEN STANLEY, R.N., F.R.S., AND LIEUTENANT C.B. YULE, R.N.
The following pages contain abstracts of the meridian distances measured in H.M. Surveying Ship Rattlesnake and her tender the Bramble, in the survey of the Inner Route through Torres Strait, the Louisiade Archipelago, and the South-east Coast of New Guinea, during the years 1847, 1848, 1849 and 1850, under the command of the late Captain Owen Stanley, R.N. F.R.S.
The first three columns require no explanation.
The fourth (interval of days) is the elapsed time between the last day at the first station and first day at the second.
The seventh (meridian distance in arc) is the result of the particular measurement specified between the two places named.
The eighth (mean meridian distance from Sydney) is that deduced by a mean value of two or more distances by the same T.K.'s, and in some instances
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