1872.] Eajendralala Mitra — On spirituous Drinlcs in Ancient India, 207 



The expense from wear and tear and damage of cargo, and chance of 

 loss, ships experience during the passage of a typhoon, is better to be avoided 

 than experienced. 



If a vessel finds herself on the Southern side of the centre of the storm, 

 when on its easterly track, she will of course have the wind from South, 

 shifting through W. to North, and must heave to on Starboard tack. 



I am only speaking of typhoons on the S. E. coasts of Japan and only 

 after they have recurved to the N. Eastward. 



The diameters of these storms vary immensely. That they are usually 

 of httle height above the surface I have no doubt. I believe their thickness 

 is more frequently less, than over, a mile. I have observed in a sudden 

 break or rent in the thick mass of clouds which invariably accompanies 

 them, the sky clear, blue and bright, the sun shining, and white touches of 

 cumulus sprinkled across the sun's raj^s. These glimpses are almost mo- 

 mentary, and again the thick mass of driving clouds shut the bright spot out. 



From numerous observations and notes I have been led to conclude 

 that the China and Japan typhoons are never the same. In other words 

 that those storms which sweep up the Northern coast of China between the 

 Lats. of 25° and 35° approach from the S. E. as do the Japan storms, but 

 instead of curving up with the Kuro-siwo, cross it and holding on in a N. 

 Westerly direction, come in contact with the China coasts. 



During the occurrence of such a storm on this part of the China coast, 

 dirty squally weather with more or less rain will be probably experienced on 

 the Western coast of Japan, or between Chickakoff and the Korea Straits. 

 The wind will probably be from the S. E. 



I believe that it may not be unusual to find yourself suddenly overtaken 

 by a cyclone, which has given little or perhaps no warning. These I believe 

 to be descending cyclones, if so, it may also account for the first half of the 

 storm disk frequently lasting longer than the last. This circumstance I 

 have more than once distinctly observed. 



The usual rate that the body of the Japan cyclones travel at, is about 

 twenty miles an hour. 



2. Notes on some species of BJiinolopJiidce. — By Gr. E. Dobson, B. A. 

 M. B. 



3. OrnitJiological Notes.— By W. E. Beooks, Esq., C. E. 

 These papers are published in Part II. No. 4, of the Journal. 



4. On Spirituous Drinks in Ancient India. — By Babu Eajendralala 



MiTKA. 



(Abstract.) 

 The author starts with the proposition that neither the anathema of 

 sages and moralists, nor the deductions of science have ever sufficed to sup- 



