'Transactions of the Bombay Geographical Society, from January 1847 to May 1849. Edited by the Secretary. Volume VIII.' [‎31] (134/496)

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31
On the other hand, it is known that a rigorous winter and protracted
chilly winds in spring, indicated severe cold in the North of Europe
and Asia. On this, no doubt, depended the remarkable occurrence
of heavy falls of hailstones over many parts of India, on the N.E,
side of the hurricane, in April, and during the setting in of the
S.W. monsoon in May. For instance, at Bancoorah, on the 4th
April, u several severe hailstorms took place. Some of the pieces
were from three to four inches in diameter : cattle and human lives
“ were destroyed.” On the 5th, a heavy storm of thunder, lightning,
and rain, took place at Colombo, and the thermometer fell from 90°
to 73°; and on the same day, at Manantoddy, “a pelting/a^ of
’“ice” lowered the temperature from 84° to 69°.
On the 15th April, while the hurricane was raging off Cape Como
rin, and the Ceylon Island was near its vortex, “ filling with water”
after having had all her sails blown away, and the crossjack
yard snapt in two by “ the violent gusts of wind and rain,” from S.
and E., we find that Calcutta and Serampore were visited by “ hail
storms” with the wind between N.E. and S.E. In connexion with this,
we cannot refrain from quoting a few remarks “ from a correspondent
at Ootacamund” (on the Neilgherries) to the Bombay Telegraph and
Courier, and dated the 17th April, who says :—“ The Kondas on Mon-
“ day last (13th) came as it were within a giant's stride of the canton-
“ ment. That confused blending of forest with forest, and indistinct
“ grouping of the peaked hills decked out in their sombre livery of
“ greyish blue, now assumed the vivid colouring, the distinctness of a
“ new landscape, and an universal stream of light lit up those blue
“ mountains standing forth in bold outline against a hard blue sky ;
“ over which hurried with racing speed thin streaks of white fleecy
“ clouds attended by several smaller satellites, black, wild, and ragged,
“ fleeing like birds of ill omen scared from their prey. Sailors would
“ have foretold a furious gale. Tuesday ushered in a high wind with
passing showers of rain. On Wednesday, the day of the eclipse,
“ wind was blowing a strong gale from East by South; since the
“ 15th it has been blowing furiously and from the same quarter, enve-
li loping the country in a dense mist, accompanied by incessant rain,”
Thus from Bengal to the centre of the storm, from 13th to the 15th,
signs of an almost frigid N.E. current of air were obvious to obser
vers. The logs of the Buckinghamshire, and Zemindar, show the con
dition of the weather on the opposite side of the vortex. One month