308 On the Climate of Darjiling. [April, 



being the same as the lower line, fig. 1 . Fig. 4, or the Bengal line, 

 appears to have its maxima and minima, generally speaking, somewhat 

 earlier than the fictitious line : — fig. 6, or the north-west line, has them 

 somewhat too late, and fig. 7, or the southern line, still later. A fact 

 somewhat analogous to this is observed in Europe where the varia- 

 tions of the barometer are said to take place on the shore of the 

 Atlantic a day and a half earlier than at St. Petersburg h ; but in 

 neither case is the difference regular. However, all the information 

 of every kind that I can gather on the subject would lead to the 

 belief that the changes generally do take place earlier towards the 

 northern and eastern, parts of the country, later towards the south- 

 ern and western. I am speaking, of course, of Northern India, having 

 as yet no lists from the south of the Nerbudda. 



I have not endeavoured to connect the appearances observed with 

 the position of the moon, unaware of the difficulties which attend 

 such a supposition, but because I was at a loss to find one which 

 would account for the phenomena better. As to the appearances 

 themselves, the variations in the price of corn and their recurrences, 

 they of course will rest upon better or worse evidence in proportion 

 as the multiplication of lists from different parts of the country con- 

 firm, or not, the indications they afford. From the nature of the sub- 

 ject, much accuracy in the conclusions cannot be hoped for : neverthe- 

 less by perseverance some truths may be elicited, which may serve to 

 direct philosophical research, and perhaps to give us some insight 

 into what is likely to happen for the future, in the absence of all 

 better information. 



V. — On the Climate of Darjiling. 



We make an exception to our general rule of not inserting meteoro- 

 logical registers except in abstract, in favor of the following six 

 months' diary kept by Doctor Chapman at the new station of Darji- 

 ling in the Sikkim portion of the Sub-Himalayan range, because it is 

 very important that every information should be made public in regard 

 to the climate of a place selected, or at least proposed, as a sanatarium 

 for the recruiting of exhausted Bengali constitutions, more accessible 

 than the far western hills of Simla and Mastiri, or the eastern station 

 of Chirra Punji. 



Before Doctor Chapman started on his official deputation to Dar- 

 jiling, his instruments were carefully compared with the standards 

 registered in this Journal. He was particularly requested to attend to 

 the wet-bulb depression, as compared with the dew point ; and to the 



