792 Lieut. Irwin s Memoir of Afghanistan. [Oct. 



great chain of mountains does not allow the rains to fall in Kashkur, 

 but the country of the Kafeis has an equal share with Bajour. 



70. We have thus traced the summer rains in the high latitudes. 

 In the middle latitudes they extend to all the sources of the river 

 Koorm, being here diminished in duration to less than one month. 

 These showers are generally severe, and important to the agriculture 

 of the country. By the Afghans they are called, ' Vuse/ a term plainly 

 of Indian origin. In latitudes still more southerly it is difficult to lay 

 down the limits. The ■ Vuse' certainly does not reach Candahar, but is 

 sufficiently regular at Zhob of the Kakurs. It is said to reach Kilat 

 of the Beeloches, but is not there the chief rain. Nay, it is by one 

 person asserted to be known as far west as Punjgoor. This is rendered 

 incredible by adverting that that place is not very distant from the 

 sea. Natives of Persia assure us that in most seasons there is a heavy 

 fall of rain in the month of August in the province of Laristan ; and 

 I presume this is equally true of the coast of Kirman. It is probably 

 the neighbourhood of the sea which gives to lower Sindh a rainy 

 season of greater length than the upper, and perhaps not greatly 

 inferior to that of the upper Punjab, yet has it been known in some 

 years to fail, but the circumstance is of little importance to agriculture. 

 Mooltan, distant at once from the sea and from the mountains, has 

 very little remaining of the rains, less than any part, it is probable, 

 of Sindh or Seeweestan, or the Daman and Makalwad, though lying to 

 the west. Buhwulpoor has more rain than Mooltan. The rains of 

 Beekaneer are somewhat uncertain and scanty, for a country situated 

 on this side the desert. Showers sometimes fall in Seestan during 

 the summer, but they are unconnected with the rains of India. 



71. In the Bengal provinces next in importance to the grand summer 

 rains, are the showers which fall in the winter. By the natives this rain 

 is called ' Muhawut/ because the greater part fall in the Hinduwee 

 month Magh, which on an average of seasons begins on the 13th of 

 January. The farmers in what is called the Puharturee, or the tract 

 of country lying at the foot of the great northern mountains, do not 

 even water their rubbee crops, but trust to this rain, which however in 

 some years fails, even there and in many parts of the plains more dis- 

 tant from the hills. The Muhawut extends from our provinces as 

 far as Jodhpoor ; but with respect to many parts of India I do not 

 possess information as to whether it occurs or not. Part of the rainy 

 monsoon of the Coromandel Coast coincides in time with it, but far 

 exceeds it in quantity and importance. In the season 1808-9 it failed 

 in our Upper Provinces in general, a circumstance productive of great 



