24 TEMPERATURE OF PEKING. 



years' observations at Peking, made at his request, 

 by the Pere Amiot, one of the last missionaries 

 resident at that capital. 



Mean Temperature. 



Warmest months - 84° -38 

 Coldest months - 24° 52 

 Greatest variation - 59°*76 

 Annual temperature 54° * 9 



Oct. 13° Cent, about 45° Fahrenheit. 

 • April 13°-9 „ 47° 



Thus making a mean variation between the warmest 

 and coldest months of 59° 76', and a mean tem- 

 perature of 54° 9'. The severity of the winter 

 may also be judged of by the thickness of the ice, 

 and the difficulty with which it melts. The Father 

 Hyakinth states that " the rivers are covered with 

 ice two or three quarter ells thick;"* and large 

 solid blocks may be seen in the streets exposed for 

 sale, or employed to cool the fruits of the vender 

 during the great heats of summer, while the tem- 

 perature in the shade is seldom below 80 degrees, 

 and where every peasant and labourer may indulge 

 in the luxury of his slice of iced water-melon for 

 the third part of a penny. " Fish," says the Pere 

 Amiot, another missionary of the same name, 

 " brought from the rivers of Leau-toung, are kept 

 without salt in a frozen state for two or three 

 months together. Every morning at sunrise the 



* Denkwiirdigkeiten liber die Mongolie, p. 26. 



