When we entered the region of the Gulf of Tonkin the wind grew notably stronger and caused much heavy pitching. The weather was very inconstant and the rainstorms looked very menacing from time to time.

Many signs indicated that a typhoon was approaching as the sky was filled with broken up clouds that are characteristic for the approach of such a storm. At sunset, the horizon was colored in an abnormal livid yellow and the rough sea flung „Elisabeth“ violently to and fro. Only the barometer was not announcing the scourge of these seas as despite a quick decrease in barometric pressure it did not show the important oscillations that are usual precursors of these feared storms. Various weather observations had to made and all kinds of contradicting guesses were uttered. Timorous souls predicted one of the heaviest typhoons while staid meteorologists at first were of the opinion that the storm was behind us or would move parallel to our direction but at some distance to it. When the wind continued to grow stronger, the waves became rougher and rougher and finally there was a heavy rainstorm, everybody was nearly convinced that we would not reach Hongkong without having to pass through a cyclone.

A rare spectacle was presented by the numerous flashes in the night which crossed horizontally and illuminated the perturbed sea clear as daylight but ghostlike.

Links

• Location: In the South China Sea
• ANNO – on 18.07.1893 in Austria’s newspapers.
• The k.u.k. Hof-Burgtheater is closed for summer until 15 September. The k.u.k. Hof-Operntheater is closed from 1 June to 19 July.