3S4 



CoJofiel Reid's IVorlc on Sforma 



[A PHIL 



The following are extracts from Colonol Cnppor's work on the winds 

 and nionsoons. 



" During the siege of Pondi. heny, at the time of the N. E. monsoon 

 and on the 30th of Deoeniher, ITGO, the weather was line in the evening; 

 but a heavy swell rolled on the sliore from the south-east. The next 

 morning the sky was of a dusky hue, accompanied by a closeness of the 

 air; but without tliat wild irregularity which prognosticates a hurricane. 

 Towards the evening, however, the wind freshened from the north-west, 

 and at S at night increased considerably. About midnight the wind 

 veered round to the uorlh-easi : fell calm, with a tkick haze ; and, in a 

 few niinu:es, flew n)und to the fout/i-enst, whence it blew wMlh great 

 violence. Almost all the ships might hive been saved, had they taken 

 advantage of tlie wind blowin >: o t itie land : but the roaring of the wind 

 and sea prevented the captains from hearing tl;e signals for standing 

 out to sea. The Newcastle and Protector w(-re driven on shore, a few 

 miles south of Pondicherry, and the crews were saved. The Norfolk, 

 Admiral Stevens, returned next dav ; and on the 7th came in the Salis- 

 bury, from Trinco Ti incomalee, south ; and the Tiger from Madras, north : 

 so that in these op[)osite directions, of east, north, and south, the 

 violence of the s t in li;id not been felt.* 



" The next in succession was that of 1773 ; on the 20th of October 

 that year, many days after the north-east monsoon had apparently com- 

 menced, the wind began to slacken, ami the clouds in the evening ap- 

 peared uncommonly red ; particularly on the day preceding the storm. 

 On the morning of the 21sr, u strong wind blew or!" the land ; and, in the 

 course of a few hours, Hew all round the compass. At this time the Nor- 

 folk, man of war, Admiral Cornish, w'ith the America and Weymouth, and 

 the Princess Charlotte, country ship of 4(,0 tons, remained in Madras 

 roads, with several other country vessels. The wind be^m to blow from 

 the north-west, and continued from ! hat quarter for three or four hours ; of 

 "which time the men of war availed themselves to put to sea : but it then 

 suddenly shifted to the eaxtw r -. and prevented most of the country 

 ships from folio .ing their example. After having blown with incessant 



• After this went to the Press, I obtained, from the Admiralty, copies of the log 

 books of the Norfolk, the Salisbury, Tiger, York, and other ships of Admiral Stevens' 

 squadron in 1760-1. The storm above alluded to bei;an about N. N. w., and ended about 



S . S. E. 



The Tiger, as well as the Salisbury, York, and Weymouth, were all to the southward 

 of Pondicherry ; and were, in different places, within the influence of this storm ; ap- 

 parently, showing that this storm came from the direction of the equator, as well as the 

 others, although it must have moved a little southerly at Pondicherry, by the wind 

 '^^eering from N. N. w. to s. s. e. 



