774 Ninth Memoir on the Law of Storms in India. [No. 141. 



Dr. Cumberland, the Civil Surgeon of Poor ee, has kindly obliged me 



with the following very clear account of this Storm, as experienced 



at that station: — 



We have lately had a very severe gale at Pooree, the particulars of 

 which I subjoin. The gale commenced on the night of the 1st instant, 

 blowing hard from North, with rain. It continued to increase during 

 the 2nd, occasionally blowing in very heavy gusts, with rain from 

 North. At 6 p. m. the wind which had blown from due N. shifted 

 to E- N. E. when there was an abatement in the violence of the 

 storm. At 6| p. m. it re-commenced with renewed violence, accom- 

 panied with thunder and lightning. At 8 p. m. blowing very heavily 

 from S. E. At 9 p. m. more moderate, heavy rain. At 10 p. m. furious 

 gusts from S. S. E. At 11^ p. m. more moderate. At 12^, heavy gusts 

 from South, thunder and lightning, then again more moderate. At 

 1J a. m. of the 3rd, violent gusts from S. after which the gale abated, 

 leaving a brisk gale from South, and towards evening S. S. W., 

 gradually diminishing. The 4th was fine with fresh S. W. breezes. 

 The height of the thermometer on the 2nd was 78°, lowest 16°. 

 Quantity of rain from 8 a. m. of the 2nd to 8 a. m. of the 3rd, 5 

 inches and ten-tenths. The damage occasioned by this gale both at sea 

 and in shore is immense ; no less than six coasting vessels were wrecked 

 within a few miles of Pooree, and the " Imaum Shah,'* 700 tons 

 burthen, foundered off the coast, only four hands saved out of 100 on 

 board. The Nacoda told me that he was at anchor somewhere about 

 the Sandheads when the gale commenced from the Westward ; 

 however there is no reliance to be placed on that. The poor man lost 

 his wife and family, and I dare say was somewhat bewildered. The 

 town of Pooree presents a sad scene of devastation, and a great many 

 people have been killed. To give you an idea of the violence of the 

 storm I may mention, that it was about one-eighth more violent than 

 that of April 1840, an account of which both the late Mr. Ewart and 

 myself forwarded to you.* I have had letters from Cuttack to-day, 

 dated the 4th. There I am informed on the 2nd, they had a smart 

 storm, only a few trees blown down, but no material injury done. 

 Cuttack is 50 miles north of Pooree, so that it appears to have con- 

 fined its ravages more to the coast. R. B. Cumberland, 



Pooree, 5th October, 1842. Civil Assistant Surgeon. 



* See Jour. As. Soc, Vol. ix, p. 1021. Third Memoiv on Law of Storms in India. 



