Indian Antiquary Vol 46

Author(s): Richard Carnac Temple, Devadatta Ramkrishna Bhandarkar
Publisher: Swati Publications

Page 10

THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY
(JANUARY, 1917
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Colonel Coote's Account of the Storm as recorded in his Journal, Tuesday 30th December 1760.-The surf ran so high this day that no stores could be landed.
Wede: sday 31st December 1760.-The surf so great this day that no boat or Catamaran could go off to bring any stores on shore.
Thursday 1st January 1761.- Very cloudy weather all this morning. In the evening about 8 o'clock, it began to blow hard. At ten the most violent storm arose that has been known in the memory of mail, and continued 'till 2 in the morning.
Friday 2nd January 1761.-The storm which happened last night almost ruined our batteries and working tools, destroyed intirely all our Pandalls (pandál, a thatched shed] in Camp, and killed several black people. His Majesty's ships Newcastle, Queenborough and Protector drove on shore to the southward of Arioncopang?; all but five or six men in the crew saved. The Duke of Aquitaine, Sunderland, and Duke storeship foundered about one o'clock this morning. Only three men are saved out of those two men of war, and seven blacks out of the Duke ; the America, Panther, Medway and Falmouth entirely dismasted and laying at anchor to the southward; no news yet of the Norfolk, Admiral Stevens, but fear she is lost. Wrote immediately to the Governor and Council of Bombay to acquaint them with this unhappy catastrophe, and requested they would immediately dispatch Captain Tideman and the men of war there to the Coast, and at the same time to send as much powder as they could possibly spare. Wrote also to the Governor and Council of Madras, and desired they would immediately send supplies of stores to the army, in the room of those lost on board the Duke. Ordered all the Mussola (mussoola, masúla, a surfboat) boats and Catamarans from the northward to assist the ships to the southward and those ashore off Arioncopang, also ordered provisions and arrack to be sent for the use of the sailors belonging to the Newcastle, Queenborough and Protector. Wrote to the officer commanding at Cudalore to dispatch immediately all his Mussola boats and Catamarans to assist the ships, and to send for those at Porto Novo and Deve Cotah. ...
Sunday 4th January 1761.-This morning Admiral -Stevens arrived in the Norfolk without any damage, also the Grafton, Captain Parker. Intercepted a letter from Mr. (Monsieur) Lally to one Mr. [Monsieur) Raymond at some of the neutral ports, in which he desires him, in the most pressing manner, to send some rice to Pondicherry, and to rur all risques and hazard every thing to effect it, if it was only half a Garces at a time. He acquaints him that, as the English fleet was entirely destroyed, he had it once more in his power to save Pondicherry. Wrote to the Governor and Council of Madras to dispatch immediately all the armed vessels there to join the ships before Pondicherry. Wrote also to Admiral Stevens and sent him a copy of Mr. Lally's intercepted letter, at the same time represented to him my uneasiness least any boats with provisions should get into the
· Orme MSS., India, Vol. VIII. pp. 1986-7.
? Ariankuppam, near Pondicherry. Porto Novo, on the Coast of 8. Arcot, 32 miles South of Pondicherry, Devikotta, a Maratha Fort. • See Infra for a translation of this letter.
A menuro, varying from about 8,000 to 9,000 lbe avoirdupois.