300 Mr Christie on the Meteorology, Geology, ^c. 



one more the idea of huge ant-hills than of human habitations. 

 In these places, wood being found in too small quantity to 

 serve as fuel, cow-dung is used for this purpose; which being 

 made into small cakes, is thus plastered on the walls of the 

 houses to dry in the sun. When dry, it is collected into stacks, 

 like peat-stacks in a Scotch village. 



Darwar, which is situated on the eastern edge of the hilly 

 tract, enjoys a tolerably cool and agreeable climate. The only 

 time at which the heat is very oppressive is in March, April, 

 and part of May ; and even then a cool refreshing westerly 

 breeze sets in every afternoon, and continues during the whole 

 night. The luxury of this breeze is duly appreciated by those 

 who come either from the interior, or from the eastern or west- 

 ern coast, where the nights, during the hot season, are close and 

 oppresive, preventing sound sleep from refreshing the languid 

 frame, overcome by the heat of the day. This cool breeze is 

 felt but a very short way to the east of Darwar, for it soon be- 

 comes heated, by passing over the arid plains of that part of the 

 country. 



Speaking generally, it may be said, that, at Darwar, as in 

 other parts of India, the wind blows during six months, viz. 

 from the middle of April to the middle of October, from the 

 south-west, and during the remaining months from the north- 

 east. But it has been already mentioned, that, during the hot 

 months, a cool wind blows all night from the west ; and it must 

 be added, that, for several weeks, at both equinoxes, the wind 

 is variable. 



Heavy thunder-showers fall at Darwar in April and May. 

 The weather then continues cloudy ; and the steady rain of the 

 monsoon generally begins in June or the beginning of July. It 

 is a curious circumstance, that the first heavy showers that fall 

 do not come from the west, but are accompanied by'the follow- 

 ing phenomena. During the day the wind blows steadily from 

 the south-west. Between three and five in the afternoon, black 

 clouds are seen accumulating in the east. Cloud rises over 

 cloud, until the whole eastern sky is covered with one dense 

 black mass, which, now pierced every where by forked light- 

 ning, and accompanied by constant peals of thunder, slowly ap- 

 proaches against the western breeze. When it has approached 



