Cuap. II.] EFFECTS OF RAINS. 17 
a dried up water-course, covered with stones and 
wrecks of buildings. The passages from the Queen’s 
Road to the sea were all full; the one leading 
through Chunam’s Hong for hours presented the 
appearance of a rapid river, and many of the 
houses on each side were only saved from the flood 
by mud walls hastily raised. About 6 o'clock the 
rain moderated, but for some time after the road 
was quite impassable. A Coolie, attempting to 
ford the stream rushing down D’Aguilar Street, 
was borne off his feet, but saved himself by catch- 
ing hold of the frame of a mat-shed. The drain 
lately formed’ could not carry off the water, which 
committed great devastation, flooding a new house 
in its vicinity to the depth of nearly three feet, and 
destroying some new walls. All the open drains in 
the upper streets have suffered, many are entirely 
destroyed, leaving scarcely a trace of the street. A 
stream from a distant water-course flowed along the 
road above the bungalow, occupied by the attorney- 
general, and descending with great fury upon the roof 
of one of his out-offices, carried away a great part of 
it. In many places the Queen’s Road has been 
covered with soil, sand, &c., to the depth of more 
than two feet, and nearly all the cross drains are — 
choked up. The bridge at the Commissariat has 
been carried away, and that in the Wong-nai-chung 
has also disappeared. Several lives were lost by 
the fall of a house in which some Chinese resided ; 
and it is said the stream at Pokfowlum burst upon 
a mat hut in which were a number of Coolies, em- 
C 
