248 LIGHT SCIENCE FOR LEISURE HOURS. 



the eastern arm of the Indus. It has been ascertained," 

 he adds, " that this new-raised country is upward of 

 fifty miles in length from east to west, running parallel 

 to the line of subsidence which caused the grounds 

 around Sindree to be flooded. The breadth of the ele- 

 vation is conjectured to be in some parts sixteen miles, 

 and its greatest ascertained height above the original 

 level of the delta is ten feet an elevation which ap- 

 pears to the eye to be very uniform throughout." 



(From Chambers' s Journal, November 7, 1868.) 



THE FORCING POWER OF RAIN. 



THEKE is an old proverb which implies that England 

 need never fear drought ; and we have had clear evi- 

 dence this year that an exceptionally dry summer is 

 not necessarily followed by a bad harvest. But we 

 believe that when a balance is carefully struck between 

 the good and the evil effects resulting from excessive 

 drought in England, it will be found that the latter 

 largely prevail. In fact, it is only necessary to observe 

 the effects which have followed the recent wet weather 

 to recognize the fact that rain has a forcing power, the 

 very diminished supply of which at the due season 

 cannot fail to have seriously injurious effects. In va- 

 rious parts of England we see evidences of the action 

 of such a power during the present autumn in the 



