ly different
proposition with which I was confronted on my return journey in the
evening.

[Illustration: _Photo. by B. & S._ A Street in Burra Bazaar.]
[Illustration: _Photo. by Bourne & Shepherd_ Chitpure Road]

I was then living in a chummery in Circular Road, Ballygunge, and the
entrance from Lower Circular Road, Calcutta, was so blocked up with
fallen trees and other _debris_ that I found it impossible to make
headway against it in my gharry, so I sent it back to the office and
walked to the house, or rather scrambled over trees and other
obstacles the best way I could.

I can never forget the terrible scene of heartbreaking desolation and
destruction that I encountered in every direction on going down to
office next morning. It seemed at first sight as if the town had
suffered from the effects of a bombardment. As I slowly wended my way
along the various streets and across the maidan, I was confronted on
all sides with striking evidence of the frightful ruin that had
overtaken the city. On every hand were to be seen great stately trees,
that had safely weathered innumerable storms of the past, lying prone
on their sides, either uprooted or cut through as with a knife: many
in falling had broken through the masonry of the boundary walls of the
compounds in which they were growing, greatly intensifying the look
of misery and desolation. There were also to be seen myriads of
branches of trees stripped off and flung about in all directions in
the wildest confusion, and in some parts the ground was so thickly
strewn with fallen leaves as to form a sort of carpet.

Many of the buildings had also suffered very severely. Some had had
their verandahs and sides blown in, and others had had corners
literally cut off where the fury of the storm had struck a particular
angle. Amongst some others that had fared so badly was unhappily St.
James's Theatre in Circular Road, the home of the "CATS." All the
members at once felt that it had become a thing of the past, as the
owner, Mr. Jimmy Brown, who had built it at a cost of Rs. 30,000,
could never afford the expense of repairing it. The picture will show
the wreck it had become. But bad and distressing as all this appeared
to be, it absolutely paled into insignificance in comparison with what
I Was to witness on arrival at the river bank. The sight that there
greeted me was truly appalling and beggared description. Of the whole
of that grand and superb array of vessels which