1835.] 



Extracts from Correspondence. 



715 



I dare not venture an opinion with reference to the cause of this phenomenon ; 

 but in all probability it is the same that creates water-spouts at sea. However, 

 wheu a sufficient number of well-described facts are made known, some future 

 Sir Isaac Newton may collect and form a theory from them upon a firm basis, 

 and if this notice contribute but an iota towards it, I am well rewarded. 

 Mir aye seen on ike lbth Dec. 1832, near Jandaha in Tirhut, 



A little to the east of Bar bat ta Ghat, ou the By ah Nullah, is a wide extended 

 plain, without trees or jungle of any kind ; nothing of vegetation is to be seen, 

 except a stunted species of grass, which serves to feed numerous herds of cattle, 

 that seem to thrive on this sterile waste : patches of saline matter are here and 

 there to be seen white with efflorescence. On the above day, 1 travelled across 

 this plain, and at A p. m., observed the phenomenon of Miraye. Every object 

 in sight was rendered five or six times its ordinary size. The men and cattle 

 appeared gigantic spectres, stalking about in the distance ; a few of them appear- 

 ed as if walking on stilts, while some of the buffaloes' heads seemed larger than 

 their bodies. A few were elevated to such a height, that their legs appealed 

 like the trunks of palm trees. These distortions continued to change as the 

 objects moved about, to such a degree, that the men and cattle changed their 

 shapes every moment like shadowy spectres. A transparent bluish kind of 

 vapour could now and then be seen when stooping down, and looking towards 

 the horizon, and having an undulatory motion, which, I have no doubt, caused 

 this phenomenon. It is, however, not common, for my servants, when asked 

 about it, looked grave, and their countenances expressed more of fear than curiosity ; 

 while at the same time, they did not like to talk or say any thing on the subject. 

 They, however, stated, that it was something not good, and that '"many people 

 would die after seeiny it." I could not even prevail on them to stay to witness 

 its disappearance. 



This plain is bounded on the east by a swampy j'hil of considerable extent. 

 Could the blue vapour which I distinctly saw, be what is generally called Mala* 

 ria? If so, I have certainly seen it, though '• in a questionable shape," contrary 

 to the opinions of many who deem it impalpable and invisible ; at first I attri- 

 buted the fears of my servants to superstition, but I have subsequently thought 

 that they have reason to fear it, especially if the appearance was really caused by 

 Malaria, which is probable ; for a great mortality of the people in the neighbour- 

 ing villages took place in a few days after I had returned from my journey. 



The Mirage representing water I have so often observed, that I thought it too 

 common to notice. 



5. Ranye of the Barometer and Thermometer at Port Louis in the Mauritius in 

 1828, by Lislkt Geoffroy, Cor. Roy. Ac. Sc. of the French Institute, for the 

 2nd Vol. Roy. As. Soc. Trans. 





















Hygro- 







C 





Month. 



Barometer. 



Thermometer. 



meter. 



Rain. 



£h 



Wind. 





Max. 



Med. 



Min. 



Var. 



Max. 



Med. Min. Var. 



Max.iMin. 



Inch. 

















from 







from 







>. 



>• 













mean. 









mean. 







G 



a 





Jan .... 



29-85 



29-75 



29-65 



—.04 



89 



82 



74 



+ 4 



96- 78-0 



2-87 



14 



6 



N. N. E. 



Feb ... . 



29*74 



29-64 



29-54 



—.15 



89 



85 



81 



4-7 



9S-378-0 



5-00 



13 



2 



N. E. 



March, . 



29-74 



29-34 



29-14 



—.45 



87 



84 



80 



+ « 



101-0 78 



1307 



i7 



3 



N. E. 



April,... 



29-86 



29-46 



29-16 



—.33 



83 



77 



72 



— 1 



95-0 75-1 



6.63 



6 



4 



S.E.ESE. 



May, .. 



30-17 



29'87 



29-77 



+ .08 



80 



76 



72 



— 2 



95-0 730 



0-67 



5 



1 



S. E. 



June, . . 



29-87 



29*86 



29-77 



+ .07 



80 



75 



71 



— 3 



94-0 



76-0 



O 06 



7 







S. E. S. 



July,... 



29-98 



28-98 



28-98 



+ .19 



77 



73 



70 



-5 



94-0 



79-0 



0-25 



6 







E. 



Aug. . . . 



29*98 



29-98 



29-88 



+ .19 



77 



72 



68 



—6 



95-0 



77-3 



213 



U 



J 



S. E. 



Sept 



29-97 



29-97 



29-87 



+ .18 



80 



76 



73 



— 2 



90-3 



78-1 



0-27 



2 







S. E. 



Oct 



30-06 



29-96 



29-96 



+ .18 



82 



77 



72 



— 1 



97*3 



76 



0-21 



6 







E. 





29-95 



2986 



29-86 



+ .07 



83 



79 



75 



+ 1 



92-3 



76-0 



1-29 



5 



2 



variable. 



Dec. . 



29-90 



29-85 



29-S5 



+ .06 



86 



83 



77 



+ 5 



92-3 



76-0 



044 

 33-49 



12 

 104 



3 



E. 



Mean,. . 



29-793 







78.2 









22 





In adding this to the number of Meteorological abstracts published in our 

 Journal, we have corrected several obvious mistakes in the decimals of the 

 original. 



