- : ' I .' . 



71 INDIA. 



tion by the Hindoo.-,, is about 20 miles to the north of 

 lilamiihad, in the Chittagnng district of Bengal; it <-vi- 



F< trifled 

 tree** 



Climate. 



Monsoons. 



di-ntly contain-, carbonated liydn^m w, as the surface 

 of it may I), inlljimd by the ;ipplicati<in of a light. Seet.i- 

 cond la the ((iniinon appellation for hot springs among the 

 Hindoo*. Near the smith-western extremity of the pe- 

 ninsula of (Ju^erat, there is a spring, within high water 

 mark, of a pink colour; evidently, from this colour and 

 it- mineral qualities, impregnated with iron, which in- 

 deed colours the adjacent soil. On the north side of the 

 Vdlcnorc in the Carnatic, there are a great number 

 of curious] \ petrified trees, supposed to be of the tamarind 

 iuiie of them are like other petrifactions, ex- 

 tremely hard, while others are so soft, that the slightest 

 pressure with the fingers crumbles them into dust. There 

 i- one tree which is said to be fiO feet long, with a diame- 

 ter varying from 2 to 8 feet ; the root of this tree, which 

 is so hard that it strikes fire with steel', and can be po- 

 lished to a great degree of smoothness and fineness, is 

 beautifully variegated in its veins and colours, so as to 

 resemble agate ; there are parts of it also of a red co- 

 lour, similar to that of the cornelian. Beads, bracelets, 

 \-c. are manufactured out of the root of this tree. These 

 petrifactions are regarded by the natives as extremely 

 ancient. Petrified wood, supposed to be that of the 

 tamarind tree, is found also in the sands near Madras ; 

 it tikes a beautiful polish, and is manufactured in that 

 town into various ornaments. 



In treating of the climate of India, the monsoons 

 first claim our attention. It is generally said that the 

 monsoons do not extend beyond the tropics ; this, how- 

 ever, is not accurately the fact, as will be afterwards 

 noticed. At present, however, we shall regard them 

 as merely blowing on the coast of India, from Cape 

 Comorin to the tropic, and point out their effects on 

 the climate of thj region. On the Malabar coast, the 

 south-west monsoon commences about the middle of 

 April, and continues till the months of August or Sep- 

 tember ; it begins to blow first on the southern parts of 

 this coast, and gradually advances to the north. In 

 September it has generally lost its violence ; and for 

 the next six weeks there are light variable winds. At 

 the latter end of October the north-east monsoon be- 

 gins on this coast ; this also blows first in the south, 

 and about 15 days afterwards is felt on the northern 

 parts of the coast: this monsoon continues till April. 

 On the Coromandel coast the south-west monsoon be- 

 gins about the end of March or early in April ; but it 

 it is not regular or strong till the month of June, land 

 and sea breezes being not uncommon in March, April, 

 and May. In June, July, and August, this monsoon is 

 very steady, regular, and strong ; but even during these 

 months, a land or west wind blows from the shores for 

 24 or 48 hours. In August and September the south- 

 west monsoon begins to lose its steadiness and violence; 

 and the north-east monsoon commences about the 

 middle of October; from this period till the beginning 

 of December, it is very boisterous, and navigation is 

 rendered extremely dangerous ; but in December, Ja- 

 nuary, and February, it is steady well settled weather. 

 On both coasts, the setting in of the monsoons is gene- 

 rally attended by violent hurricanes. 



Such is a short description of the monsoons as they 

 appear on the western and eastern coasts of India ; but 

 before we proceed to point out their effects on the cli- 

 mate, it will be proper to advert to the circumstance of 

 their extending beyond the tropics. This is decidedly 

 the case at Tatta, which lies in 24 44'. The monsoon, 

 however, does not reach Corachie in latitude 24* 51'. 



There are indeed at this placp, as well as along the Statistics. 

 coast of Mfkran, from April to October, south-west '""V 1 

 and west winds ; but, as tney often veer round to the 

 north and north-west, they cannot be regarded as-mon- 

 soons, especially as they are seldom attended with 

 squalls and rain, the invariable marks of the south- 

 west monsoon on the coast of Malabar. 



The climate of that part of India (as far as respects 

 rain) in which the monsoons prevail, and the Ghauts 

 are situated, is uncommonly regular. It will easily be 

 conceived, that when the south-west monsoon prevails 

 on the coast of Malabar, this coast will be deluged with 

 rain, in consequence of the Western Ghauts intercept- 

 ing the clouds brought by this monsoon ; and that the 

 same monsoon, on the Coromandel coast, will occasion 

 dry weather : while, on the latter coast, the rainy sea- 

 son will be occasioned by the north-east monsoon, 

 which dashes the clouds, surcharged with moisture, 

 against the Eastern Ghauts. On the Malabar coast, on 

 the contrary, this monsoon will occasion dry weather. 

 Hence it appears, that the rainy season on the Coro- 

 mandel coast must commence with the north-east mon- 

 soon, about the middle of October, while at that time 

 the dry weather begins on the coast of Malabar ; and 

 that the rainy season on the Malabar coast must begin 

 in April or May, the period of the commencement of 

 the dry season on the Coromandel coast. The rains on 

 this coast are not, however, so violent as those on the 

 Malabar coast. This seems to arise from the circum- 

 stance that the Eastern Ghauts are farther from the 

 sea than the Western ; and, consequently, the clouds 

 arc not so soon broken, and have also a greater space 

 over which they can spread themselves before they are 

 broken. It is not improbable, too, that the greater 

 height of the Western Ghauts may intercept a larger 

 portion of the clouds than the Eastern, and break those 

 which it does intercept more completely. As the 

 Western Ghauts extend no farther than the latitude of 

 Surat, the south-west monsoon, to the north of this lati- 

 tude, as far as it blows, carries the rain without inter, 

 ruption over the whole country. We have already 

 mentioned the break in these Ghauts near Paniany. In 

 consequence of this break affording a passage to the 

 north-east monsoon from the Coromandel coast, ships 

 which navigate the Malabar coast commonly experience 

 a stronger gale in the neighbourhood of Paniany than 

 on any other part of this coast. The lower part of the 

 province of Coimbetoor partakes of the rainy monsoon 

 of the Malabar coast, which is probably occasioned by 

 the same break permitting the south-west winds to 

 blow through the Ghauts in this part. 



The south-west monsoon blowing so long, and part 

 of the time with such violence, forces a great body into 

 the Gulf of Bengal ; and, during its prevalence, the 

 surf on the Coromandel coast is very tremendous. The 

 north-east winds continue this surf, by impelling the 

 waves on the shore, which is very steep, having, as was 

 before observed, no soundings at the distance of th'irty 

 miles. As soon, however, as the north-east monsoon 

 begins to abate, that is in December and January, and 

 the south-west current, which prevails in the Bay of 

 Bengal, can operate, the surf on the Coromandel coast 

 is by no means high or dangerous. 



Having thus briefly explained the monsoons and their 

 effects in the southern pr.rt of India, we shall now make 

 some observations on the climate, as it respects wind, 

 rain, and heat, in other parts of this country. In that Seasons in' 

 part of Bengal which lies near the head of the bay, the Hiodottan 

 wind blows alternately from the north and south, dur- p>pr. 



