Page:McCosh, John - Advice to Officers in India (1856).djvu/103

, and had the same quantity of material fallen from the heavens that drifted along with the wind, Lahore would no doubt long ago have shared the fate of these celebrated cities. Not a flash of lightning illuminated the darkness, not a clap of thunder broke the monotony,not a drop of rain nor a hailstone fell, and even the wind was silent, as if stealing a march on some distant province; the storm sank exhausted towards evening, and the night became cool, calm, and serene. Next morning every article of furniture was embedded in dust, and if it had had adhesion enough, it would have furnished correct casts of domestic economy. The besom of destruction seemed to have swept the earth of every particle of dust, leaving only coarse gravel, konkur and brick bats, and one felt inclined to hope that matter for such another storm could not be pounded up for a month thereafter. But the sun of the Punjaub, and the sons and daughters of Lahore produce dust enough for such a storm once or twice a week. The roads of the old regime are ankle deep in dust, it plunges under the horses' feet like so much water, a carriage moving along at an easy pace reminds one of the old paintings of Aurora, the wheels enveloped in clouds and the rider only free.

Whirlwinds are very common in these arid regions; and in a calm day, when not a breath of