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Q-Is it in your opinion possible that the typhoon which the Sado Maru met in the Formosa Channel was the same that blew in Hongkong on the morning of the 18th ?
A.-No; for in my experience it is not customary for a typhoon to travel to the south of West. The usual tendency of a typhoon is to travel to the north of West.
Q.--You think they were separate typhoons?
A. Yes. It is improbable that the typhoon which struck Hongkong on the morning of the 18th instant was the typhoon which the Sado Maru met in the Formosa Channel because in that case the direction of the movement of the centre of the storm would be contrary to the general movement of circular storms.
Q-Assuming it to be the fact that H.M.S. Terrible arriving from the south during the early afternoon of the 18th did not experience bad weather nor any indication of a typhoon until within the Lema Island, are you of opinion that any lengthy warning of the storm of the 18th could have been given by the Observatory?
A.-No.
Q.--Have you heard during your experience on the China Coast of typhoons travelling in pairs?
A. Yes; one typhoon often follows in the track of another.
Q. Have you a self registering barometer on board ?
A.--No.
Q-Have you seen the track of the storm of the 18th made by any barograph in Hongkong?
A. -Yes.
Q-Have you ever seen a steeper barometric gradient?
A.-No; the nearest approach is that of the storm in November 1900.
Q.--The steeper the gradient the more sudden the storm?
A. Yes.
Q.--From your experience do you think it possible that the storm of the 18th was formed quite close to Hongkong, was very small in area and travelling at a very rapid rate ?
A. Yes; it was more like a tornado than a typhoon.
Q. Is it your opinion that communication with Manila or other observatories would have been of practical value in foretelling the great violence of the storm?
A.--I believe the storm had local origin and consequently that the information received from Manila or elsewhere would give no indication of its approach.
Q-From your experience in the China Sea is it an uncommon thing for an original typhoon to break up and form two of smaller size?
A.-I think that is often the case caused by striking land.