In the earliest notices that we have of hurl.
canes on the Madras coast,—at least of those of which we have any record,—was that of the 341 October 174G, twenty-three days after the sur render of Madras to M. do la Bourdomuds. On the 2d of October the weather was remarkably mild during the whole of the day, but about midnight a most furious tempest arose, which continued with great violence till noon of the following day. When it began there were six large French ships in the Madras roads, and sonic smaller ones. Tho Duc d'Orleans, Plaeni.e, and Lys put to sea and foundered, and in them upwards of twelve hundred men were lost. The Mermaid and Advice, prizes, shared the same fate. The A chilk (the flagship of M. do Is Bourdon nais) and two other vessels of war were dismasted ; and they had shipped so much water that the people on board expected them to go down every minute, nothwitbstanding they had thrown over board the lower tier of guns. Of twenty other vessels belonging to different nations in the Madras roads when the storm began, not one escaped, being either wrecked or lost at sea. The ships which were at anchor in the road of Pondi cherry felt nothing of this hurricane.
Another hurricane occurred off Cuddalore on the 13th April 1749. (It is rare to meet with hurricanes before May.) The English army were then on their march to Tanjore, to set Sahoji on the musnud and depose Pretaub Singh. Admiral Boseawen had agreed to send some ships to escort the troops, cannon, and stores to the place at which they designed to disembark them, which was at Devieottah, south of the Colerun river. A dreadful hurricane at N.N.W. came on on the night of the 12th of April, and continued all the next day. Its greatest violence was between eight at night of the 13tb, and at two the next morning, shifting round from the northward to the east, till it came to the south, .where it ended. In this storm H.M. ship the Pembroke (ono of those appointed for the above service) was driven ashore and wrecked on the Colerun shoal, a little off Porto Novo. The captain, all the officers (except the captain of marines and purser, who were ashore on leave), and 330 men were drowned, only 12 men.being saved. In the same storm tho 74 gun ship Namur (Boseawen's flag-ship) foun dered in shoal water, not far from Devicottah. The first, second, and fourth lieutenants, master, gunner, two lieutenants of marines, and 520 men were drowned ; only two midshipmen and 24 men were saved. The admiral, captain, and some other officers were on shore. The Lincoln and Winchel sea, E.I.C. ships, were likewise wrecked off Fort St. David, but the crews were saved. Almost all the small vessels that were near Fort St. David were lost. MM. ships Tartar and Deal Castle. together with the Swallow sloop, being at sea, and more to the southward, did not feel the tempest in that violent degree with which it raged near the coast, but they were all dismasted. The rest of the fleet wore fortunately at Trincomalee. The English camp was at that time some miles from Porto Novo, and was so devastated that the army were obliged to march to Porto Novo for equipage.
Orme mentions a hurricane on the 31st October. 1752, as the most violent that had been remembered on the coast.
The new year of 1761 was ushered in with a most violent hurricane at Pondicherry. At this
time the British were laying siege to that town, and the fleet were in the roads intercepting all succour by sea. When the storm began, Admiral Stevens had with him eight sail of the line, two frigates, a fire-ship, and a ship with stores. From 8 P.m. of the 31st December, till 10 P.m., there was a constant succession of very heavy squalls. About 10 P.M., Admiral Stevens, in the Norfolk (having for his captain the gallant and unfortunate Kempenfelt), was forced to cut his cable, and made the signal for the squadron to do the same. But the noise and violence of the gale was such that no guns could be heard or signals observed. The other commanders accordingly obeyed previous orders, and continued at anchor, till at length their vessels parted, and then with the greatest difficulty they got their ships before the wind, with scarce any sail set. The gale continued to increase until midnight, by which time the wind had veered from N.N.W., where it began, to the N.E., and in an instant it was succeeded by a calm, attended by a thick haze. This was of short duration, for in the space of a few minutes the storm burst from the S.S.E., and raged with redoubled fury. Had the squadron got under sail and proceeded to sea early, they would have had an opportunity of gaining sufficient sea-room before the storm came from the S.E. The first gust of this fresh hurricane laid the Panther on her beam-ends, when, the sea breaking over her, Captain Affieck ordered the mizzen-mast to be cut away. This not relieving the ship, he ordered the main-mast to be cut away likewise ; it broke below the upper deck with such force that it tore it up, and the mast and rigging hanging over the side, continued to encumber the ship for a con siderable time, until a heavy sea cleared them. The ship then righted, and, the reefed foresail having withstood the violence of the gale, by means of it they got back in fourteen fathoms water, and there let go the sheet anchor ; but not bringing up, they cut away the fore-mast, the fall of which carried away the bowsprit, when the ship came round, and in this manner rode out the storm. The America, Medway, and Falmouth were dismasted, and, after much distress, came to an anchor near the Panther. But it did not fare so well with the Newcastle, the Queenborough frigate, and the Protector fire-ship, who, scudding before the S.E. gale, mistook their soundings, and drove towards the shore without endeavouring to come to an anchor. The roaring of the wind pre vented them from hearing the noise of the surf till it was too late. All three came ashore about two miles south of Pondicherry. Of their crews only seven perished, who were dashed overboard by the violence with which the ship struck when they took the ground. A more miserable fate attended the Due d'Acquitaine, the Sunderland, and the Duke store-ship. Their masts withstood both hurricanes, but they were driven back by the S.E. tempest, and were under the necessity of anchoring ; when, bringing up with all their masts standing, they broached to, and either capsized or foundered. The crews, in number eleven hundred, perished, except seven Europeans and as many lascars, who were next day picked up floating on pieces of wreck.