24[Reid, William, 1849, The Progress and Development of the Law of Storms; and of the Variable Winds, with the Practical Application of the subject to Navigation, J. Weale, London]
The wind rapidly increased in violence, but I was pleased to see it veering to tho N.W., as it convinced me I had put tho ship on the right tack, viz the starboard, standing, of course, to S.W. For five hours it blew with great violence but the ship being well prepared rode comparatively easy. The barometer was now very low, the wind about WNW, the centre of the storm passing doubtless to our right.
Thinking it a pity, as the gale sensibly decreased, to be so far out of our course, I wore to N.W., and made sail, but in less than two hours heavy gusts came on and the barometer began to fall. I now thought we were approaching the storm once again, and doubtless the theory is not mere speculation. I wore again to the S.E., and to show more clearly how great a difference a very short distance nearer to or farther from these storms makes, the weather rapidly improved.
When we arrived at Hongkong two or three days afterwards, we found they had had a gale, and its centre lay between the ship and Hongkong, through which centre I might have had the pleasure of passing if, regardless of the indications of the barometer, and the results of the scientific comparison of the data of other storms, I had been eager merely to keep on the tack nearest my course.
notes:
The Sydney Morning Herald quotes The Times, which quotes Reid,
who quotes Captain Hall's article in the Nautical Magazine.