56 



PHYSICAL GEOGRAPHY. 



[PART I. 



As regards the foliage of the trees, it might be 

 expected that the variety of tints would be wanting 

 which forms the charm of a European landscape, and 

 that all nature would wear one mantle of unchanging 

 green. But it has been remarked by a tasteful observer 1 

 that such is far from the fact, and though in Ceylon there 

 is no revolution of seasons, the change of leaf on the 

 same plant exhibits colours as bright as those which 

 tinge the autumnal woods of America. It is not the 

 decaying leaves, but the fresh shoots, that exhibit these 

 brightened colours, the older are still vividly green, whilst 

 the young are bursting forth ; and the extremities of the 

 branches present tufts of pale yellow, pink, crimson, and 

 purple, which give them at a distance the appearance of 

 clusters of flowers. 2 



A notice of the variations exhibited by the weather 

 at Colombo may serve as an index to the atmospheric 

 condition of the rest of the island, except in those por- 

 tions (such as the mountains of the interior, and the 

 low plains of the northern extremity) which exhibit 

 modifications of temperature and moisture incident to 

 local peculiarities. 



January. At the opening of the year, the north-east 

 wind N E monsoon, which sets in two months 



Temperature, 24 hours : previously, is nearly in mid career. 



Mean greatest 85-6 * -\- j> o i- n 



Mean least . . 69-2 Ims wind, issuing from the chill 



Rain (inches) . . 31 n()rth ^ robbed Q f fo aqueous va _ 



pour in passing over the elevated mountain regions on 

 the confines of China and Thibet, sweeps across the 

 Bay of Bengal, whence its lowest strata imbibe a quan- 



1 Prof. Harvey, Trin. Coll. Dublin. 



2 Some few trees, such as the 

 margosa (Azadirdchta Indicd), the 

 country almond (Tcrminalia catap- 

 pa), and others, are deciduous, and 

 part with their leaves. The cinna- 

 mon shoots forth in all shades from 

 bright yellow to dark crimson. The 

 maella (Olax Zeylanica) has always a 



copper colour; and the ironwood 

 trees of the interior have a perfect 

 blaze of young crimson leaves, as 

 brilliant as flowers. The lovi-lovi 

 (Flacvurtia inermis) has the same 

 peculiarity; while the large bracts 

 of the musssenda (Mussanda fron- 

 dosa) attract the notice of Europeans 

 for their singular whiteness. 



