Travel Diaries and Journals

is one of the utmost desolation & ruin. The loss of boats of every description is also enormous; probably nine out of ten were capsized & sunk by the storm wave which followed the change of wind from East to South & many of the remainder have been cast up on the shore. The utmost difficulty is from this cause experienced in communicating with the shipping. The Inland River steamers have not escaped. The steamer "Progress" with two flats left two days ago, & must have been between channel creek & Mutlah en route for Assam at the time of the Cyclone; but we do not yet know how far that extended. The steamer "Mirzapore" belon- ging to the Ganges Company is ashore at Armenian Ghaut. Four flats of the Indian general steam naviga- tion company are disabled; & two steamers & two flats, belonging to the Bengal river company are supposed to have been lost. The steamer "Cachai" which arrived here two days ago is missing, while her two flats are ashore & broken. Below will be found some interesting accounts furnished us of the gale at Serampore the gale appears from the Friend of India to have blown as furiously as in Calcutta. The road which skirts

the river has been carried away. The fine trees which studded the compound of the Friend of India are all destroyed. Mahogany trees says the Friend lie with their roots torn out of the ground: the house is reduced to a ruin & was flooded by the river during the storm. Dr. Carlys garden, with the rare trees it contained, presents now only a few stumps; & the destruction of native huts is enormous. At 9 PM the gale was moderating so that it must have reached Serampore much later than Calcutta. It appears to have travelled in a North Westerly direction.

says Dadson has retd. from the Cape Called on Smith at Doveton College going up to Serampore in a fort night to be Editor of the Friend of India Mrs. I Child gone home & McLaren with Dysentery. Called back at S T Ho. returned on bd. at 5 Dibbs going out for a drive in a Buggy & take little Willie Law home went up with them Called at S T Ho. Dibbs went to Call on Dicey wenr up stair to wait Dibbs retd. about 8 took a drive round & went on bd. Cassiagni came on bd. & stayed all night met Beckett in going out this mg. said he was going on ev did not go. Mail sr. arrived

Sunday Feby. 13th. 1859==

Up at Sunrise buggy ordered for 10 to go up to Church late of coming went up with Dibbs

A man killed by lightning much rain @ 3 Tea @7 & then have some music in the evg. on Saty. Mg. last took train to [struck through: Barr] Serampore first class 1.2. took Gharrie & went down to the river to go across to Barrackpore. got gharrie on the other side & called at Dr. Brown's. very kind & asked me to put up for a day or two. Mrs. B an old Scotchwoman pressed me to take everything on the breakfast table. Met Capt. & a Dr. B Brown just come out from England in the service. Col. Mitchell called during the day. saw some fine stereoscopic views Paris ones belonging to Capt. Had some tiffin & went across to Serampore to go on to

house about 10 had breakfast went out & saw the other Cheroot house had a thousand put up for me walked out on the Strand after dinner. saw French sepoys. the Govr. 300 a month 3 rupees wanted for a Gharrie to Serampore resolved to wait & go down by train in the mg.

Monday March 7th. 1859

Clemen & I went up to the station this mg. bid him Good bye went on to Serampore took Gharrie to Bailey's went across to see Dr. Brown after a Cup of Coffee break fasted with him. Came to the other side after breakfast called on Smith at the Friend of India office