340 Mr Macritchie's Meteorological Tables, 



season has been seen so low as 55° or 50° at sunrise ; but this 

 coolness only took place in a clear morning, after a fall of rain, 

 for, when clouds made their appearance, there was no difference 

 between the temperature of the external atmosphere and that of 

 the room, although it might have amounted to 12° or 14° on the 

 preceding morning at that time. The heavy dews that fall du- 

 ring the night, at this season, in clear weather, give a chilliness 

 to the succeeding unclouded mornings more sensible to the feel- 

 ings than a much lower degree of cold in more northern cli- 

 mates. The weather becomes warm in February ; and the hot 

 winds commence about the beginning of March, but seldom in 

 earnest until the vernal equinox, and continue until the setting 

 in of the rainy season in the first or second week of June. 

 The hottest month is May, and the heat increases in sultry 

 oppression as the rains approach, until their actual presence 

 abates its insupportable tyranny. The heat of the night com- 

 monly exceeds that of the day in closeness for nine months in the 

 year; and the most pleasant part of the twenty-four hours is an 

 hour or two before sun-rise. 



The rainy season in general sets in with heavy rain from 

 the eastward, attended by severe thunder and lightning ; the 

 higher clouds' motion having previously come round by showers 

 from different quarters to the point agreeing with the wind on 

 the surface. The heaviest rain falls in July, and lessens in 

 quantity until the middle or end of September, when the rains 

 usually take their leave with a flood from the east, in a similar 

 style to their commencement. 



Solar and lunar halos are very frequent when the atmosphere 

 becomes hazy and slightly overcast, but without that effect up- 

 on the coming weather expected in variable climates, excepting 

 when it changes from dry to wet, and the contrary. Lunar 

 rainbows are not uncommon in stormy showery weather. I had 

 an opportunity of seeing three very perfect ones, in one instance 

 so well defined as to appear double. Parhelia, with bright spots 

 on and around the halos, are of general occurrence in the mares- 

 tails and mackerel formation, which the clouds so often assume 

 in an Indian atmosphere. Eclipses do not materially influence 

 the weather : in 1828, the great solar eclipse of April was not 

 followed by any alteration, with the exception of happening near 



