32 REPORT — 1851. 



stroyed by it. The three largest masses of ice recorded as having fallen in India 

 are — 



1st. That mentioned by Dr. Hyne in his tracts published in 1814 as having fallen 

 near Scringapatam in the time of Tippoo Sultan ; it was in the size of an elephant, and 

 took two days to melt. 



2nd. In 1826 a mass of ice fell in Candeish, which must nearly have been a cubic 

 yard in size ; no exact measure was made of it. 



3rd. In April 1838 a mass of hail-stones, cemented into one block, fell at Dharwar. 

 It was 19 fpet 10 inches in its larger diameter. 



These things, on which doubts at one time were cast, no longer seem incredible. 

 In August 1 S-4 9 a mass of ice fell in Rosshire 20 feet ia circumference ; it is described 

 in the Edinburgh Philosophical Journal and the Scotchman newspaper of the time. 



A correspondent writes : — " Since my list of hail-storms I have only had to record 

 one under my own observation, and which occurred about three p.m. at a place 

 called Oomree, seven miles west of Revvah, on the 7th of February last, the hail- 

 stones fully as big as pigeons' eggs. It did not last long, but was very violent, and 

 tore my tent sadly. This village Oomree must have been about the centre, as it did 

 not extend to Rewah east, and only about four miles to the westward, as ray camels 

 were about that distance, and had only rain." 



"The subjoined account of a violent hail-storm at Meerut on the 28th of April, is 

 from the Mofussilite of the 1st instant: — 'On Friday last Meerut was visited by a 

 hail-storm of unusual violence. The hail-stones were considerably larger than pigeons' 

 eggs, the usual standard of measurement on such occasions. We regret to hear that 

 much damage was done in the gardens and fields of the station and district. The 

 prospects of the ensuing fruit-season are now reduced to a possibility, and the 

 splendid crops are said to have suffered very severely.' " 



" A Jessore correspondent gives rather an unfavourable account of the weather 

 and crops ; — 'We had a very heavy shower of hail on the 2nd instant, with scarcely 

 any rain ; whatever of the latter fell was all dried up by noon the next day. Since 

 then we have had strong south-westerly winds, scorching up and killing everything : 

 the land is like burnt bricks. Young trees and garden-shrubs are dying off in all 

 directions.' " — Morning Chronicle, April 14. 



" A severe hail-storm visited the Delhi district on the l7th of April, too late, for- 

 tunately, to do any injury to the crops. The hail-stones, which continued to fall for 

 more than half an hour, were of large size, and must have done extensive damage 

 had any of the grain been left standing. At present the atmosphere is charged with 

 electricity, and we may expect a few more thunder-bursts before the weather becomes 

 settled."— De?/«' Gazette, April 19. 



" We hear from Hydrabad that that station was visited with a very heavy shower of 

 rain, accompanied with hail, on the evening of the l7th of April. The hail-stones, 

 we are told, were large, so much so as to startle the natives of the place." — Kur- 

 rachee Gazette, April 23rd. 



" A correspondent at Secunderabad writes as follows, under date 5th instant : — 

 ' On the 2nd of April we had a slight shower of hail, and on the 1 1th of last month 

 there was a very severe fall of hail about four miles from this. The sky now looks 

 very threatening, large masses of dark clouds hanging about.' " — Bombay Times, 

 May 12th. 



"The subjoined account of a terrific hail-storm at Rungpore is taken from the 

 Enylishman of the 2nd instant : the hail-stones are described as being equal in size 

 to ducks' eggs ! — A correspondent at Rungpore says : — ' Have you heard of the 

 dreadful hail-storm we had here on the 22nd of this month (April) ? It was one of 

 the most terrific ever known in these parts. It destroyed hundreds of houses, and 

 no small number of trees ; some old ones which had stood the storms of a hundred 

 years came down. All the fruit in the gardens is destroyed. The hail-stones were 

 as large as ducks' eggs, and the whole station looks like a wreck.'" 



Note by Colonel Sykes. — The following is an account of hail-stones of great size 

 which fell at Nottingham : — 



" Violent Storm at Nottingham.' — On Friday afternoon, June 20th, 1851, at three 

 o'clock, a storm of hail and rain, of unusual violence, broke immediately over this 

 town, deluging the streets, and sweeping everything before it. A great mass of 

 ■water accumulated in Upper Parliament Street, and swept with overpowering force 



