§ 689, GOO. 



MONSOONS. 



367 



The low country can not condense it, and it then remains for the 

 mountain stations in the interior, such as Cherraponjie, to get the 

 first rains of the season ; and a most interesting physical problem 

 may be here put on the road to solution by the question, Does not 

 the rainy season of the S.AY. monsoon commence at the high sta- 

 tions in the interior, as on the sides of the Himalaya, earlier than 

 in the flat country along the sea-coast ? 



689. With the view of investigating certain monsoon phenome- 

 march of the ^^5 rccoursc was had to our great magazine of un- 

 digested facts, the abstract logs ; and after discuss- 

 ing not less than 11,697 observations on the winds at sea between 

 the meridians of 80° and 85° E., and from Calcutta to the equator, 

 results were obtained for the following table, in which is stated in 

 days the average monthly duration of the N.E. and S.W. winds at 

 sea between the parallels of 



Th 

 monsoon;?. 



Setting in of the S.W. monsoon. 



t Ending of the S. W. monsoon. 



It appears from this table that between Calcutta and the line the 

 S.AY. monsoons are the prevailing winds for seven months, the 

 N'.E. for live. 



690. Eesorting to the graphic method of engraved squares for 

 Tiieir conflict-it be- ^ farther discussion of these figures, it appears by 

 gins at the north. ^|^q Diagram B that in February the northeast and 

 southwest winds are in equal conflict between the parallels of 20° 

 and 22° ; that in March the former have backed down as far as 

 the parallel of 16°-15° — the medial line between them from 

 which each monsoon is blowing — and where, again, the conflict 

 of "back to back" is equally divided as to time of mastery (12 

 days) on either side. By the month of June they (the south weis!) 



