290 



METEOKOUHU' IN lUiySlA. 



The western Mintor moiusoou is ostablishod as early as the ejul of 

 September; that is, in the time of tiie typhoons of llie Sonthern (Miina^ 

 seas. Tlie navigators in the Seaof Ochotsk have lonj;- known (he 

 periodicity of (he winds in this region, of wliieli (hey take advanta,i;e in 

 going in the sninnier (roin Kain(s('ha(ka (o (he wes(ern ('oas( of (his 

 sea, and retnrning in Septendu>r or ()i'(ober, when (he westcMii winds 

 have fairly se( in. 



The extrenu'ly nnpUvisant cold and damp snminer elimate of these 

 regions is caused by the prevailing east wind coming from the cold Sea 

 of Ochotsk, a true i)olar basin transfered to a lower latitude. The 

 yearly increase of temperature is also checked (o a great degree by this 

 inilnence, the warmest month being generall> August, when (he sea- 

 water has accpured a higher temperatnie. 



The summer rains are very copious, even in places inland as far as 

 Pekin. In this plac(>, as also at tlu^ mines ol' Nertschinsk, the fall of 

 "water is nunc than (if(y (imes larger in July than in January. In the 

 last place (here is hardly any sledging in win(er, though the ((Mn[)era- 

 ture remains six months b(>low (he free/ing-point. The countries on the 

 Lower Anu)or and Jai)an have more oi' snow and rain in autumn and 

 winter. The east winds from the adjoining sea are seldom experienced, 

 yet when they «lo occur the precijiitation is copious, (he dilVerence of 

 temperature between land and sea. being very grea(. \Ve lind a resem- 

 blance to this in the climate of Eastern North America, wliere (he rain- 

 fall is more copious than in l'au'0[)e ; yet the sky is clearer and (he 

 number of rainy days less. 



Prvv'qtitittlon in inches. 



I have said before that the monsoon climate is characterized by a gen- 

 erally dear winter and a rather cloudy summer. The amount of cloudi- 

 ness has only begun within the last few years to attra(^t the attention of 

 scientidc men. An extensive collection of tables of (his element has 

 been commenced by Kamtz, and continued by ^^'ild, who has published 

 the results in the new " Kepertorinm fiir Meteorology." TIu\v tMiibiace 

 many places in Russia and in Siberia. 1 present here an extract from 

 these tables, in which the means oi' several [)laces have been cond)ined 

 together. The amount of cloudiness is expressed in percentag*^ ; a cloud- 

 less skv taken as zero. 



