La Tempete ~ Henderson#1

The earliest version I've found of this actually comes from Germany, though that book claims the dance was already popular so it probably has even earlier roots (I'd guess France as the original source, given the name). It was published by Johann Heinrich Kattfuß in Leipzig in 1802 Choregraphie Oder Vollständige Und Leicht Falssiche under the title of "Der Tempẽte".

In his Hart's Second Set of Quadrilles, Hart writes:

Form a line of 4, the 2 Ladies on the 2 Gentlemens right, 4 more opposite to the first 4, form lines of 4 behind the 2^d. line as many as intend to dance.

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FIGURE

The first 2 lines right and left, chassez across to the right and left with your partner, dechassez, in returning you go behind the 2^d. Couple The Center 4 hands round, the outside couple's turn and back all 8 Set quite round to the right re set to your places, the top four lead through the 2^d. line and begin the same figure with the 3^d. line & so on to the bottom of the dance.

Then another German source, in 1842, Liller wrote:

ist ein französischer Tanz. Die Tanzenden müssen in folgender Ordnung stehen: 22 11 33 44 sich das Gesicht zutehrend.	is a french dance. The dancers must stand in the following order: 22 11 33 44 ???
Hinter biesen Paaren funnen noch viel mehr Paare antreten	Many more couples can join in behind these
Die in der Mitte gegenüber stehenden Paare führen folgende Tour aus:	The couples standing opposite each other in the middle perform the following figures:
Erste Tour. Chaîne en quatre.	First figure. Rights and lefts for four.
Zweite Tour. Moulinet oder Kreuz	Second figure. Hands across (or cross).
Dritte Tour. Ronde rechts	Third figure. Circle right.
Vierte Tour. Das erste und zweite Paar chassirt an einander vorüber und wechselt die Plätze, dasselbe thut das dritte und vierte Paare. Hierauf macht das erste und vierte Paar halbe Ronde desgleichen das zweite und dritte Paar, so daß das erste Paar auf die dritte und das vierte Paar auf die zweite Stelle fommt.	Fourth figure. The first and second couples chase past each other and switch places, the third and fourth pairs do the same. The first and fourth couples circle half, and the second and third do the same, so that the first couple is where the third couple started, and the fourth where the second did.
Funfte Tour. Das erste und zweite Paar chassirt aneinander vorüber und wechselt die Plätze, desgleichen ach das dritte und vierte. Das erste und vierte Paar, somie das zweite und dritte Paar macht halbe Ronde, so daß jedes wieder auf denselben Platz zu stehen tommt.	Fifth figure. The first and second couples chase past each other and change places, as do the third and fourth. The first and fourth couples, the second and third couples make circle half, so that everyone ends up in the same place again.
Sechste und siebente Tour. Grosse Chaîne	Sixth and seventh figures. Grand chain.
Achte Tour. Alle vier Paare chassiren gegen einander und wieder zurüd, flatschen in die Hände und chassiren durch einander bergestalt, daß man nun init der zweiten vis à vis gestandenen Partie tanzt.	Eighth figure. All four couples forward and back, dropping hands and passing through to the next set of dancers.
Beide Paare fangen die bereits beschreiebene Tour mit ben Entgegenfommenden wieder an, und führen sie so lange aus, bis sie aus den Platz des Icssten Paares fommen, worauf sie sich menden und dasselbe bis auf den erten Platz zurüdtenzen.	These two couples start the above figure again with the couples waiting for them, and they continue until they reach the end of the line whereupon they turn as couples and do the same thing back to the top.

In ~1862 Mrs. Henderson of London wrote:

The new dance known by this name, was lately introduced into Paris, and is now in high repute in the Soirées Dansantes, and the fashionable circles in England. It may be truly represented as a general favourite, as it only requires an intimate knowledge of the figure to make it both agreeable and suitable for all ages. It admits of the graceful and cheerful movement of the quadrille, but has the advantage over it, that, like a country-dance, it establishes an entente cordiale amongst all who engage in it. Like the quadrille, however, it is arranged in parties of four couples, but the arrangement is different. Two couples stand face to face (or vis-à-vis), and there are no side couples. As many sets of four couples as the room will hold may thus be arranged; the first line of each new set standing with their backs to the second line of the former set. The figure of the dance admits of only two couples in a breadth, but it may be as long as the Crystal Palace.

FIRST PART

Arrange two couples in a line across the room, and see that each gentleman has his lady on his right hand; opposite these arrange other two couples as vis-à-vis. Then two couples more with their backs to the preceding; with other two as their vis-à-vis; and so on with any number of four ouples that the room and the company will admit of

The dance is commenced by all the couples at the same time, who advance and retire twice, hands joined. The leading couples (that is, all with their backs to the top of the room) then pass, with hands joined, to the places of their respective vis-à-vis. The vis-à-vis at the same time separating, pass outside the leading couples to the places of the latter, where they join hands and return to their own places and back to the top, without separating hands; the top couple at the same time pass outside, hands apart. The latter then join hands and pass to their own places between the opposite couple, who separate and pass outside to their own places.

The lady and gentleman in the middle of each line then join hands giving their other hand to their vis-à-vis, and all four in a circle to their places. At the same time, the other lady and gentleman on each side respectively perform the same movement with a circle of two instead of four

The circle of four then perform hands across round; change hands; round again, and back to places. Each outside couple does the same figure in twos. The whole of the company are performing the figure at the same time.

SECOND PART

Then all advance and retire, and re-advance. The top lines pass the bottom lines, into next places, where they recommence the figure, their late vis-à-vis having passed to the top, and turned round to wait for new vis-à-vis; the gentleman taking care to have the lady always on the right hand. Thus at the conclusion of each figure, a general change of vis-à-vis and places has take place; for, as the top lines are passing down, the bottom lines are passing up, till the top line reaches the bottom, and the bottom the top, where they turn round, and proceed in a similar manner to their original places. Here, if the party be large, the dance terminates; but it may be repeated at pleasure by going down and up again.

The figure of the dance may be varied as follows:— All advance and retire twice (hands joined). All vis-à-vis couples chassez croisez en double; each gentleman retaining his partner's left hand; eight galop steps (4 bars); dechassez eight steps (4 bars); the couple on the right of the top line passing in front of the couple on their left the first time returning to place, passing behind. Thus two couples are moving to the right and two to the left. This is repeated. The vis-à-vis couples do likewise at the same time. This of course applies to all the couples, as all commence at the same time.

When the figure is properly performed, the dance is particularly social, cheerful, and amusing, and combines the excitement of the country dance with the grace and elegance of the quadrille, whilst, at the same time, it symbolically illustrates the singular vicissitudes of the social condition of the land which gave it birth, or, at least, celebrity — the top going down, and the bottom going up.

The first paragraph is word for word the same as Hillgrove's version from New York in 1857. I doubt Mrs. Henderson is copying Hillgrove, it seems more likely that both are copying some earlier London publication. The figure is a little different from Hillgrove's (which is the same as Whale's).