The Umballa arrived at Colombo on the 19th ult, from Mauritius, and brought news of the terrible cyclone at Port Louis, The cyclone began (says the Times of Ceylon) on April 29th at about 8 in the morning, and it Insted a good 12 hours, At 6 in the morning the barometer was 2-10 lower than it was on the day before, and at 8 o'clock the gun was fired warni skippers who were on shore to go on beard their vessels and to strike topgallant masts and to prepare for bad weather. It started to blow hard about 8 o'clock, and the wind kept up incessantly until 2.30 p.m., when it was almost calm; but then the wind shifted and it blew hard again up till 9 or 10 at night. The centre of the cyclone passed over Port Louis, and the baron meter was down as low as 27.82, The velocity of the wind was registered at 121 miles per hour. During the first part of the hurricane, the wind was E.N.K., and during the second half it was W.S.W.
All ships in the port in the first part of the hurricane dragged anchors to the westward, and in the latter part of the storm, every ship cither parted her anchors or was driven on shore to the eastward. The I. J, Schofield, an American vessel of 1,400 tons, when the Umballa left Mauri for Colombo, was in four feet of water garded fixture. The Strathspey was ud was practically high and dry and ro-
riven against the causeway and had her side knocked in; the Burydice, a vessel of 1,600 tons, was driven high and dry up on the beach' and appeared to be a hopeless wreck; the GIN. Pucker was high and dry the Aconcagua is another fixture high up on the beach; and the John Davey, which ioftin 2ft. The Amaranth, another ves. was originally in 19 feet of water, was
sel known at Colombo, and of 1,753 tons register, was also on shore; and the Alsace-Lorraine was considered a fixture. One steamer was seen to ride clean over a schooner, while the Sarah Perima was driven on tu the Leander in such @ way as to completely telescope into her, cutting her right down to the water in doing si Both vessels are now in 12ft. of water. One steamer, the Albion, put to sea at 7 on the morning of the storm, starting from the outer roadstead, and she returned at 5 the next evening having lost her mainmast, She sighted the Lady Hereward out at sea totally dismasted, the Lady Hereward having gone to sea a day before the hurricane. The Umballa and Pentekota both went ashore; but were hauled off without much difficulty. All the cargo lighters were driven high and dry on shore, and a f} lightship xt Port Louis broke ychors and had a very narrow squeak. One man was lost frou a sailing ship—those on the Umballa saw his body float by—and four men were lost from a little schooner.
The damage on shure was enormous. It is calculated that quite two-thirds of Port Louis have been broken up by the gale. Houses were unroofed; many were blown down entirely; and trees were uprooted and carried tremendous distances. The people, afraid to remain in their houses, rushed to the diarches, where, however, they were not entirely safe, for even the churches suffered. When ull was done and the debris could be sifted, and the human beings: borne down in it extricated, these churches became converted into hospitals did Government House and several Government buildings. It is calculated that 8,000 persons were killed by falling debris, and more than twice that number are now in hospital, At the hospitals there are ghastly collections of human limbs torn from trucks and turned up in the course of excwation, and in many other parts there xre equally sickening sights. Everyone one meets in the streets almost is bandaged, having sustained some injury. In one part of the town a fire broke out in the afternoon during the storm, and about three-acre block was burned down, To the thousands who are homeless Government has agreed to give food free for the next month." The afreets are dangerous at night time, for marauding goes on all night. Port Louis, when the Umbulla left, was a complete wreck, and just evolving from a tremendous disaster such as no one in Mauritius ever remembers the like of.
The editor of the Planters' Gazette was killed by the falling of his house, blown down by the wind.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.