A tremendous hurricane, with an inundation of the sea, occurred
on the 16th of November at Coring°, on the coast northward of Madras, Some particulars of the devastation committed are given in the Madras Spectator, on the authority of letters written on the spot. " The water front the sea rushed in with such violence, that the houses at Coringa except E.'s large house, and three or four other brick-built houses, all the rest they say have been carried away. I have had two-and-a-half feet of sea water in any garden, and in my room which is under my bungalow one-and-a-half foot. They say that mare than 20,000 people have perished by this terrible hurricane, which lasted only five or six hours there is nothing to be seen in every di- rection but dead bodies and drowned cattle ; sixty native vessels, which were in the roads loaded with paddy, disappeared ; and they do not know what is become of them.
IIad the waters risen another foot, few would have been left to tell the tale over the extent to which the inundation reached. Scenes of escape are then described, solely by getting to the tops of houses. An enormous quantity of property was knocking about the district in all directions ; and cupidity at its sight rising unhappily uppermost in the human breast, the work of plunder had been heightening the distress of the moment where the extension of assistance was required. This, however, by vigorous measures, was early stopped ; but the number of dead bodies floating about, of men and cattle, was a deplorable and piteous spectacle. The extent of the loss of human life it was yet im- possible to compute with any accuracy, nor could it be done till the people get more settled : but the hand of charity we are assured will not be slow in travelling to the relief of the wretched survivors; and many at the Presidency are anxiously solicitous that sonic authentic report should come from the spot, to enable them to give an early and active direction to their efforts of benevolence."
The Madras Spectator mentions an unpleasant affair at Vellore, "Three young officers, who were out shooting, were overtaken by rain, and sought shelter in an old pagoda or choultry at hand. While there, a mob of village-people collected, assailed them with abuse, insisted on their going before the potail, and, having at length by hustling around them separated the three, they seized upon the fowling-piece of one, then threw him to the ground and bound him. One of the other two had the presence of mind to call upon his friend not to resist, by firing upon them ; and, in consequence of this forbearance, they also in time malite were disarmed, seized, and subjected with the first to gross insult and maletreatment. Amongst the foremost assailants on the occasion, were recognized two &Toys helotvrino. to Regiments at Vellore. These, of course, have been ordered to be brought to trial forthwith ; and we expect that equally prompt measures will be pursued in, inquiring into the conduct of the villagers. The audacity of the action, if fully proved in the way the amounts have reached us, requires that an imme- diate and striking example should be made of its perpetrators."
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