54 



PHYSICAL GEOGRAPHY. 



[PART I. 



CHAP. II. 



CLIMATE. HEALTH AND DISEASE. 



THE climate of Ceylon, from its physical configuration 

 and insular detachment, contrasts favourably with that 

 of the great Indian peninsula. Owing to the moderate 

 dimensions of the island, the elevation of its mountains, 

 the very short space during which the sun is passing 

 over it 1 in his regression from or approach to the sol- 

 stices, and to the fact of its surrounding seas being nearly 

 uniform in temperature, it is exempt from the extremes 

 of heating and cooling to which the neighbouring con- 

 tinent of India is exposed From the same causes it 

 is subjected more uniformly to the genial influences of 

 the trade winds that blow over the Indian Ocean and 

 the Bay of Bengal. 



The island is seldom visited by hurricanes 2 , or 

 swept by typhoons, and the breeze, unlike the hot and 

 arid winds of Coromandel and the Dekkan, is always 

 more or less refreshing. The range of the thermometer 

 exhibits no violent changes, and never indicates a tem- 

 perature insupportably high.. The mean on an annual 



1 In his approach to the northern 

 solstice, the sun, having passed the 

 equator on the 2 1st of March, reaches 

 the south of Ceylon about the 5th of 

 April, and ten days later is vertical 

 over Point Pedro, the northern ex- 

 tremity of the island. On his return 

 he is again over Point Pedro about 

 the 27th of August, and passes 

 southward over Dondera Head about 

 the 7th of September. 



* The exception to the exemption 



of Ceylon from hurricanes is the 

 occasional occurrence of a cyclone 

 extending its circle till the verge 

 has sometimes touched Batticaloa, on 

 the south-eastern extremity of the 

 island, causing damage to vegetation 

 and buildings. Such an event is, how- 

 ever, exceedingly rare. On the 7th of 

 January, 1805, H.M.S. "Sheemess'' 

 and two others were driven on shore 

 in a hurricane at Trincomalie. 



