APPENDIX. XXXill 
their anchors Several ships and smaller vessels were lost along the coast during the 
gale, which appears to have been more violent to the northward than at Madras. 
The storms we have had of late years at Madras resemble whirlwinds, blowing all 
round the compass (from particular points with incredible fury), and are generally 
confined to a space comparatively small in diameter. I shall also endeavour to give 
some of the Jeading features of these. 
On the 2d of May 1811, a violent storm occurred at Madras; the moon had passed 
the first quarter on the 30th of April, and was full on the 8th of May, and was also at 
her greatest distance from the earth. This storm raged with great fury, and did consi- 
derable mischief: I was in England at the time, but it appears, from what I can collect, 
to have begun from the northward, and to have blown equally strong from the East, 
S.E. and South. I did not, however, find the details in the diary; the barometer also 
was so much out of order, that nothing can be correctly stated regarding the actual 
quantity of depression.* The fall of rain was about five inches and a-half. It appears 
from the notices published at the time, that early on the Ist of May the surf was 
observed to be unusually high, while thick clouds continued to gather during the day 
from the N.E.; and that by day-light on the second the wind blew very hard, accom- 
panied by heavy rain. About noon it increased, and towards midnight had arrived at 
its greatest height, when it blew with incredible fury. A friend who was at the presi- 
dency at the time, and who had great reason to recollect this storm, informs me, that 
raging with the greatest fury, it destroyed every vessel in the roads, with the exception 
of three, a small Spanish ship, an American, and a French cartel ship. These stood 
out to sea, but the former was driven on shore near Covelong ; ninety country vessels 
went down at their anchors, and all the rest were driven on shore, along with the Dover 
frigate and Chichester store-ship; the whole beach haying been covered with wreck and 
dead bodies for two miles north and south of Madras. The papers stated that the storm 
was not felt at the distance of forty miles from Madras. 
On the 24th of October 1818, a second violent storm occurred at Madras. The moon 
had passed the Jast quarter about two days, and was nearly at her greatest distance from 
the earth: the wind, which was a strong northerly gale early in the morning, before ten 
in the forenoon had increased to a storm. An awful pause of half an hour occurred 
about this time; after which it blew a complete hurricane from the south, with a fury 
never perhaps before experienced at Madras. Some of the oldest trees, which had 
resisted the former storm, were rooted up; and the largest branches of others were torn 
off by the force of the wind. In some trees of a tough description of wood, such branches 
were seen hanging down and twisted, having been whirled round and round by the fury 
of the storm, Such a scene of desolation was presented as had hardly been witnessed 
at Madras; numbers of native habitations were levelled, many of the larger buildings 
injured, and some lives lost: several ships and brigs were atanchor in the roads. All 
* The depression shewn does not appear to have been two-tenths of an inch, and consequently the instrument 
had scarcely any action, 
4M 
