426 Account of the Hurricane near [May, 



over which it took its course ere it met with any impediment, and 

 having encountered one of the above villages almost immediately after 

 crossing the water every thing before it was swept away. It pursued 

 its course in a southerly direction, levelling trees and houses in its 

 course, exhausting itself at Codalea. The villages of Sambandal and 

 Chowbagan are well raised ; the lands surrounding them, being remark- 

 ably low and bounded on the east, west and south by paddy fields, and 

 on the north by the lake ; no regular road leads to them but merely 

 bunds, constructed for the preservation of the annual crops over which 

 the inhabitants travel, which circumstances seem to account for the 

 greater violence of the hurricane at these places. About three or four 

 hundred yards to the west of Sambandal there are a few scattered huts 

 slightly injured, and that chiefly in their thatch. 



These villages were chiefly inhabited by fishermen, who were at the 

 time on the lake, and never felt the effects of the storm till on their 

 return they found their villages demolished and only a few surviving to 

 account for the occurrence. From the position of some of the bodies 

 I should suppose that, escaping the falling houses they had been thrown 

 down by the whirlwind ; or the wind being excessively hot, which is 

 said to have been the case, deprived them of breath ; while others 

 encountering bamboos, &c, which were flying about as so many straws, 

 met with their death from them. As instances of the effect of the bam- 

 boos I must state that I saw a body resting on a bamboo which must 

 have struck instantly dead ; also ,the body of a female not quite fifteen 

 feet from a hut, and from which it is apparent she had been endeavour- 

 ing to escape, who having encountered a bamboo that was lying at her 

 feet must have there fallen. In a group were to be seen seven cows, 

 one in a sleeping posture, and but for the mangled condition of the 

 rest, I should have supposed it to be still alive, and am convinced that 

 the animal died through fright or suffocation as there was not a tree nor 

 house near to it. 



JSdkhdries or split bamboos forming the choppers of houses did 

 great execution. The gomastah of the above villages gave me the fol- 

 lowing romantic account of the storm. 



On Sunday the 27th Choitro, at about half-past 2 p. m. while the 

 fishers were out in the lake, the hurricane came on ; that at first it 

 appeared in a westerly direction, and to the best of their judgment two 

 dark columns that were visible whirling round and round descending to 

 the earth, had the appearance of two huge daityas (or demons) prepar- 

 ing for combat ; that a second before they fairly alighted they engaged in 

 mortal strife, and agitating the waters in the lake began their work of 



