Page:A history of the military transactions of the British nation in Indostan, Volume 1.djvu/78

70 are by mariners called monsoons: the change from one to the other is generally preceded by an interval of about twenty days, in which calms, or light and uncertain winds prevail: the setting in of the northern monsoon generally falls out some time in the month of October, as that of the southern in the month of April. On the coast of Coromandel the northern monsoon sometimes begins with a violent tempest or hurricane; and if the monsoon sets in with moderation, it is often productive of tempestuous weather at different intervals, until the middle of December, and sometimes later; so that it is held dangerous for any vessels to remain on the coast after the 15th of October, or to return to it before the 20th of December.

On the 2d of October the weather was remarkably fine and moderate all day. About midnight a furious storm arose, and continued with the greatest violence until the noon of the next day. Six of the French ships were in the road when the storm began, and not one of them was to be seen at day-break. One put before the wind, and was driven so much to the southward, that she was not able to gain the coast again: the 70 gun ship lost all her masts: three others of the squadron were likewise dismasted, and had so much water in the hold, that the people on board expected every minute to perish, notwithstanding they had thrown over-board all the cannon of the lower tier: the other ship, during the few moments of a whirlwind which happened in the most furious part of the storm, was covered by the waves, and foundered in an instant, and only six of the crew escaped alive. Twenty other vessels belonging to different nations, were either driven on shore, or perished at sea. The other two ships, laden with part of the effects of Madrass, together with the three lately arrived from Europe, were at anchor in the road of Pondicherry, where they felt no effect of the storm which was raffing at Madrass: It is observed, that the violence of these hurricanes is generally confined to 60 or 80 miles in breadth, although in their progress they generally blow quite across the Bay of Bengal. The articles of the treaty of ransom had been adjusted the day before the storm happened. It was agreed that the French should