186 Floods in India of 1849. [No. 2. 



Floods in India of 1849. — By Dr. George Buist, Bombay. 



The rainy season of 1849 was one of the most remarkable that has 

 occurred in India within the present century. On the Western Ghauts 

 no rain fell in May, and but little in June, and it was not till near the 

 middle of July, or full six weeks after the usual time, that the fall 

 became general : indeed, famine from extreme drought was appre- 

 hended till near the close of the month. On the 22nd, 23rd and 

 24th of June, a violent atmospheric commotion occurred all over the 

 country. On the second of these days the barometer fell almost 

 unprecedentedly low at Calcutta, Madras, Lucknow, Hoshungabad, 

 Trevandrum, Bombay, Kurrachee, and Aden, the first and last two 

 places being 3000 miles apart ; and we presume at all the intermediate 

 stations, though from those named alone, returns have been received. 

 The depression of the mercury was infinitely greater than could have 

 been looked for from the amount of storm which followed. At Aden 

 and at Kurachee rain seemed long promised, but none fell. A severe 

 gale swept the upper part of the Bay of Bengal, extending to Arracan 

 and Madras. The ships Cabrass and Victoria were lost in it, and 

 many others endangered : the ship Lord Dufferin lost her helm, and 

 was in great danger, on leaving Bombay Harbour. On this occasion 

 violent rain fell in the Jullunder Doab, along the line of the Chenab 

 and Jhelum, at Simla, Delhi, Agra, and Meerut. At Broach eight 

 inches fell in as many hours, and the fall seems to have extended all 

 over India. From this date, the barometer began suddenly and steadily 

 to rise: on the 25th it had reached 29.722 at Calcutta, and on the 

 27th 29.716 at Bombay, having all at once sprung up nearly half an 

 inch in two days at the former place, and above a third at the latter. 



At this time plentiful showers occurred round Benares and Ghazee- 

 pore, when it cleared up altogether for a couple of months, to the great 

 detriment of the country. 



At Calcutta three inches of rain fell on the 27th, and 2.40 inches 

 on the 1st, and again on the 9th July, rain and fair weather prevailing 

 day about. For eleven days on end, not a drop seems to have fallen 

 at Calcutta, and from the 9th to the 25th only two days of rain occur- 

 red, when 1.80 inches fell. 



The rains at Calcutta had, notwithstanding, up to this time fully 

 reached their average, and there had been no month since the com- 



