1848.] Remarkable Hot Wind in Purneah. 145 



heart of my finest and most forward cultivation, and the leaves of the 

 indigo plant withered up before it just exactly as if they had been fried 

 in a frying pan and the leaves are all fallen off. How far the plant 

 itself is affected I cannot yet say. We have not had rain for some time, 

 and without it I am afraid the loss will be very great indeed ; under any 

 circumstances the manufacturing will be thrown back at least twenty days. 



I believe neighbouring factories have all suffered more or less, but 

 the principal fury of the heat was confined to a narrow slip of land in 

 which was all my finest indigo, extending east and west a about eight 

 miles. The plant on either side of the slip escaped with comparatively 

 little injury, and on the opposite side of the Ganges did not suffer at 

 all. The wind was probably cooled by the river. 



To crown all, the buildings and out-houses of two factories are blown 

 down and some of the masonry work necessary for the manufacturing 

 process, such as the tables, &c. are broken and materially injured by the 

 fall of the posts and roofs. In two factories there is not a house left 

 standing. 



The heat was so intense that in every village about here the villagers 

 flew out of their houses from one end of the village to the other to look 

 for the fire. In this factory also we all ran to an eminence to see where 

 the fire was." 



Your's very sincerely, 

 (Signed) R. Cruise. 



Upon this letter I drew up the following queries, of which also one 

 or two copies were sent to Mr. Cruise, who circulated them to his 

 neighbours, but I fear has received no replies to them, as none have 

 reached me. 



1. What was the state of the A. As well as I recollect, befor 

 weather, winds, clouds, and aver- noon the day was clear, after noon 

 age heat of Thermometer {at about cloudy and very hot ; all day I 

 noon) during the day of the hot did not consult the thermometer. 

 wind {the 25th of May) and the 



height of Barometer with you or 

 any neighbour ? 



2. What was the direction and A. From west to east. It did 

 force of the wind at the time of not change. 



it* occur retire ? and did it change ? 



