1858.] A Twenty-Fifth Memoir on the Law of Storms. 189 



Fire Queen is two days behind her time from Maulmain. She has 

 most likely been detained to look for wrecked ships and boats at the 

 mouth of the Sitang river. It is feared that a terrible disaster has 

 happened in the Sitang river. A fleet of thirty-five boats leftMaulmain 

 on the 19fch ultimo, having on board the Head Quarters 36th M. N. I., 

 and a third of a Company of European Artillery, for Sitaug and Shew- 

 geen. They were caught,it seems, in the terrific gale of the 23rd, when 

 about thirty miles below Sitang, one boat's company have readied 

 Pegu, and reported that the bore came mountains high, and caused 

 the whole of the rest of the fleet to disappear. Whether all have 

 swamped, or whether they were driven down the river and out to 

 sea by the gale, which blew from the North, is at present unknown. 

 Elephants with provisions have been sent from Pegu to look for 

 people along the bank of the river. The very worst fears are enter- 

 tained, but as natives often greatly exaggerate, it is quite possible 

 some of the boats may have been driven ashore on the bank of the 

 Sitang river. The Fire Queen must bring in the news to-day. 



" P. M., 3rd May. — Since writing a few hours ago, the Fire 

 Queen from Maulmain has come in, bringing a kw particulars 

 of the accident on the Sitang river. Lieut.-Colonel Johnstone, who 

 was proceeding to join his Regiment at Tounghoo, being in a good 

 boat, weathered the bore and the wind, and got safe into Sitang, 

 where, however, he was robbed of all he possessed by the Burmese. 

 He saw, it is said, ten boats with men in them go down, what has 

 become of the other twenty-five boats is not known. 



A private letter from Captain Gr. C. Haughton, Magistrate at 

 Maulmein gives the following account of the weather at that station. 

 On Sunday morning, 2Srd. — We had wet windy weather and 

 cloudy ; wind I think N. East ; by Noon it was very high at East. By 

 2 p. m. it was S. East and gradually shifted to S. W. ; much rain 

 from Noon. By 4 p. m. it was blowing a hurricane at S. W. and 

 continued to about 7.30, gradually veering Westerly. After 8 pm. 

 it was high at W. N. W. and the wind gradually veered and fell till 

 daylight when we had a moderate breeze at S. East. The oldest 

 trees were rooted up, but all things considered, wonderfully little 

 damage was done to the houses. I thought mv house would have 



