On the 30th October 1836, a gale set in from the north. At 4 P.M. it blew violently from the N.N.W. and N. After a half-hour's lull, it blew at 7.30 P. 3f . with redoubled violence from the south, and at this time the barometer was 28.285. The vortex plissed over the town.
In May 1843, another hurricane occurred, the brunt of which was felt out at sea, and several vessels were lost. Those that renaained at anchor rode it out.
On the 25th November 1846, a hurricane occurred during which the pressure plate of the Observatory anemometer broke at a pressure of 40 pounds registered ; and the force of one heavy Fust was computed at 57 pounds per square foot. 1 he large iron Wind-vano of the Observatory was bent to a right angle, and one of the fiat piers on the Elphinstone 13ridgo WM! blown over.
Of these fifteen cyclones, one each occurred in January and in April, two each in 3fay and December, and nine in October.
On the 1st November 1864, a cyclone, accom panied by a storm-wave, swept over Masulipatam, rising 12 arid 13 feet above the ordinary high water mark, and rushing inland for nine miles (in one instance for 17 miles) from tho abore, submerged an area of 780 square miles, and about 30,000 of the population were drowned.
A cyclone occurred at Madras on the 2(1 May 1872, when nine British and 20 native ships were driven on shore, and 19 lives were lost.
A cyclone occurred at Vizagapatam on the 7th October 1876, and another at Bakarganj.
1822, 6th June, in Bombay a great tidal wave ; 100,000 people perished.
A cyclone occurred at Bombay in 1837. Another Ion the 1st and 2d November 1854. At midnight the wind rapidly increased in force from 15 pounds pressure on a square foot of surface till 3 A .3f . of the 2d November, when it inclined a little more to the south, and increased in pressure to 35 pounds.
Amongst the calamities that have overtaken the Sunderbuns, have been great inundations caused by cyclones. About the year 1584, the tract lying between the Horinghatta and the Ganges, known as the Bakarganj or 13urrisal district, was swept by an inundation, succeeded immediately afterwards by an incursion of Portu guese and Mugh pirates. In June 1622, this same tract was again inundated, 10,000 inhabitants perishing, and many houses and much property destroyed.
In the Gentleman's Magazine for 1737, mention is made of storm and inundation at Calcutta, from which 300,000 lives were lost. In A.D. 1736
the Megna rose six feet above its usual level at Luckipur. A cyclone of 1831, over Calcutta, swept away 300 villagee arid 11,000 people. Occurrences of cyclones have been recorded at the mouth of the Megna on the 6th and 9th June 1822, on the 1st November 1867 ? on the 16th May 1860, and 1st November 1876.
In A.D. 1833, Saugor Island was submerged 10 feet ; the whole of the population, between 3000 and 4000 souls, together with some of the Euro pean superintendents, perished ; at Kedgeree, a building 18 feet high IVIAS completely submerged, and the Duke of York East Indiaman was thrown high and dry in the rice-fields near Fultah in the Hoogly. In A.D. 1848, the island of Sundeep was submerged. A cyclone is mentioned as occurring in Calcutta in 1859, attended with a great loss of life. A cyclone of the night of the 5th October 1861 came from the sea, passed over Calcutta, and foundered and stranded steamers and ships of 2000 tons burden, and swept away every tree and building in A. tract 300 miles long. This one, originating near the Andamans, travelled in a north-west ,direction, and struck the coast of Bengal at the Balasore roads and IIidgeli. Thence it passed over Calcutta on the 5th October, over Kisbnaghur and tho Bogra district, and finally expended its strength in the Gar° Hills. ' The wind destroyed much, but it brought with it a storm-wave 30 feet high, which flooded the country for a distance of 8 miles on both sides of the Hoogly river. In Calcutta, Slid in Howrah, on the right bank of the Hoogly, the partial or complete destruction of 196,481 houses and huts told a sadder tale than even the violent death of human beings. But widespread ruin swept over the fertile tracts of Midnapur, and over the Sunderbuns, -which had been recovered from total inundation by the efforts of a quarter of a cen tury, and the expenditure of millions of rupees. In many districts there, no less than three-fourths of the whole population, their cattle and other property, were engulfed in sudden destruction. Had the Hoogly been the Thameg, and London— not so densely populated—Calcutta, a cry would have gone up which would have thrown the earth quake of Lisbon and similar catastrophes, famous in history, into the shade. In all, about 200 ships were lost, and 70,000 persons perished.