298 PROCEEDINGS OF THE COTTESWOLD CLUB 



Stores come out from Hngland, whilst the country 

 jjrovides the mutton and Ijeef. I should add, however, 

 that though cattle can live healthily, sheep cannot do so, 

 and hence it is necessary to import them from the main- 

 land. 



As regards the climate, I was informed that on the 

 whole it was, though damp, healthy. The temperature 

 varies from 67*^ to 91*^, average 83*^. The rain falls to an 

 amount of 1 15 in., but unlike the mainland, the months 

 of January, February, March, and April only are rainless. 

 As regards th.e tides, the constants obtained from the 

 gauge at Port Blair accord more nearly with theory than 

 perhaps those of any other Indian station ; the predictions 

 agree very closely with the registered tidal curve. 



Atmospheric disturbances of a fearful character are 

 frequent in the Bay of Bengal, and according to the 

 results of research in this matter, the cyclones (as the 

 storms are called) originate near these Islands ; but as no 

 telegraphic cable is at yet in existence, warnings of the 

 rise of such storms cannot be forwarded. 



It was during the night of November i, 1890, that a 

 most serious cyclone arose, passed northwards, and 

 wrecked many ships at the mouth of the Hugh, and in the 

 Bay. At Ross the damage done was most remarkable, 

 for it almost wholly destroyed the jetty, wrecked the 

 Indian Marine Steamer " Enterprise," drove all except two 

 of the boats from their moorings across to the mainland, 

 and broke them up ; the chaplain's bungalow was swept 

 clean of its contents ; as also was the bungalow of the 

 Governor on Mount Harriet, but the exterior was un- 

 touched. On the Eastern side of the Islands the trees 

 were stripped of all their beautiful creepers and re- 

 duced to the state of telegraph poles, and many were 

 blown down, so that it was quite impossible for even the 

 Andamanese to get through the jungle ; but on the 

 Western coast little or no damage was done. 



