Pr Cliristie on Indian Hailstorms. 309 



under the article Physical Geography, that they never occur 

 there, except at an elevation of not less than 1500 or 2000 feet. 

 This I will show is by no means the case. In May 1823, a 

 violent hail-storm occurred at Hydrabad, which is about IT 

 north latitude, and has an elevation (I believe) of not more than 

 ^000 feet above the level of the sea. The hail-stones were of a 

 considerable size, and a sufficient quantity were collected by the 

 servants of a military mess to cool the wine for several days. A 

 hail' storm occurred at Darwar, N. Lat; 16° 28', E. Long. 75° 11', 

 in May or June 1825. The height of Darwar above the level 

 of the sea is 2400 feet, but it is near no high range of moun- 

 tains. The hail-stones had a white porous nucleus, and varied 

 in size from that of a filbert to that of a pigeon's egg. A simi- 

 lar storm occurred at the same place, and about the same sea- 

 son, in 1826. These are the only instances of hail-storms which 

 came under my own observation during the five years I was in 

 India ; but numerous others might be brought forward from 

 the testimony of others. I shall only mention a few. Lieutenant- 

 Colonel Bowler, of the Madras army, tells me that he witnessed 

 a violent storm of hail at Trichinopoly, about the middle of the 

 year 1805, when the hail-stones were nearly as large as walnuts. 

 He also mentions a very violent hail-storm which occurred in 

 the Goomsa Valley, about twenty-five miles west of Gamjam, 

 and only a few feet above the level of the sea, when he was in 

 camp there about the end of April 1817. It commenced about 

 half-past three in the afternoon. The weather had previously- 

 been very sultry, with hot blasts of wind, and heavy clouds, 

 which appeared almost to touch the tops of the tents. On the 

 hail falling, the air became on a sudden as disagreeably cold, as 

 it had been before oppressively hot. The same gentleman also 

 witnessed a hail-storm at Masalapatam, on the coast of Coro- 

 mandel, in 1822 (he thinks in the month of April) ; and others, 

 at different times, in various parts of India. 



We are told by Heyne, in his historical and statistical tracts 

 on India, that " masses of hail of immense size are said to have 

 fallen from the clouds, at different periods," in the Mysore 

 country ; and that, " in the latter part of Tippoo Sultan''s reign, 

 it is on record, and well authenticated^ that a piece fell near 

 Seringapatam of the size of an elephant.*" Of course, it is not 



