1839.] Lieut. Irwin 1 s Memoir of Afghanistan. J91 



which the first begins about the 13th of June ; far less can four months 

 be counted in the Upper Provinces between the first and the last 

 shower. Yet is i Chowmasa' a term for the rains,, in the whole of the 

 Bengal provinces. The rains of the first and fourth month are more 

 scanty and uncertain than of the second and third. The second 

 again is more rainy than the third, and its rains more seldom fail ; 

 it begins about the 13th of July. Places in the same longitude have 

 more or less rain, according to their proximity to the great northern 

 hills. This rule, however, does not extend to all places, for those 

 which are near hills of considerable height within India itself, receive 

 from that circumstance more copious rains. It is thus the province 

 of Kuttack is more rainy than even the neighbourhood of Calcutta. 

 Very many places in the Marhatta territories and the Dukhan are far 

 more rainy than those in corresponding longitudes within our Upper 

 Provinces. When other circumstances are equal, the number of inches 

 of water which fall in the year diminishes in proportion as we recede 

 from the sea. Hence Jodhpoor and Oodeepoor have more rains than 

 Beekaneer or Jypoor. 



69. The rains of Hindoostan extend to certain points in these coun- 

 tries, and their periods and quantities are according to the laws just 

 mentioned. The rains of Lahour are later, and less than those of 

 Delhi. Those of Pothwar are still more so, and only the two middle 

 months are relied on. One heavy shower in the month of September 

 is of the utmost importance to their crops, but in some years is longed 

 for in vain. In Peshawur only the second month of the rains re- 

 mains; nay, some seasons pass in which all are denied. The hus- 

 bandman, however, sows in expectation of the rain of Sawun. From 

 Peshawur we trace the rains to a termination in Lughman and Jella- 

 labad, where they dwindle to a few showers. It thus appears that 

 they diminish in our progress westward. But this rule is modified 

 by others. Pukhlee, upper Sward, Punjkora, and Bajour, of which the 

 two last are more west in longitude than Peshawur, have, as being hilly 

 or near hills, much more rain than that place. Kushmeer lying to the 

 east of all these has yet but a few showers, for the mountains to the south 

 shut out the rains in this quarter, though we find by Captain Turner's 

 account, that they have not this effect in the part of Tibet he visited. 

 Barah-Moola, lying in the narrow pass leading to Kushmeer from the 

 west, not only has a portion of the great rains, but showers in all the 

 months in the year. Teera enjoys the four months of rain, but the 

 showers are light. It is even said that it rains every day of the year 

 in some part of the plains or the vallies of Teera. To the north the 



