CLIMATE. 7 



flowing at heights of between LOGO and 1,500 feet. The climate 

 of these regions is not a good one. Conditions are almost tropical 

 when compared with the more elevated areas. Fogs and rains 

 are common, the temperature is fairly high and malaria is often 

 prevalent. 



But these tw T o extremes are exceptional for by far the greater 

 portion of Yunnan comes into the third zone, the plains lie at a 

 general average of 0,000 feet with the hill tops rising some 3,000 

 or 4,000 feet above them. Practically all the big cities are situated 

 about this level and the coal and salt fields occur in the same 

 regions. It is to these tracts that the following remarks apply. 



The climate is a most desirable one. The dry season begins in 

 October and lasts into May. There is no great heat, and outdoor 

 work may be carried on the day through without any particular 

 fatigue caused by the temperature. The early morning mists of 

 Burma and the Shan States are unknown, the damp heat often 

 experienced later in the day in those countries is not experienced ; 

 taken all round it is bright and exhilarating weather. The coldest 

 month of all is February when snow sometimes appears at 6.000 

 or 7,000 feet. Ryder registered a temperature of 17° F below 

 freezing during this month at an elevation of 7,000 feet. I shall 

 never forget the blizzards met with on the high ranges around 

 La-li Fu at this time of the year. But those are exceptional circum- 

 stances. Frosts do occur in the winter but they are not of excep- 

 tional severity. During the cold months the Chinese warm their 

 houses with charcoal or coal fires contained in iron braziers. 



Leclerc's remarks on this season in eastern Yunnan are worthy 



of attention. He believes that the climate of the mining regions 



of eastern Yunnan is the best in the whole of China and that it 



is really superior to that of most European countries. During 



the winter season Yunnan possesses a strong south-south-westerly 



wind which falls off during the night but blows with great intensity 



during the day. Dust storms are of frequent occurrence at such 



periods but as far as my personal experience goes they appear to 



be somewhat localised in their areas. There is hardly any rain 



during the winter south of Yunnan Fu. North of this latitude 



showers of rain, coming from the north, occur, but they do not 



descend into the deep Yangtze valley. Throughout the season, the 



temperature of the elevated regions remains a moderate one with 



very regular daily variations. February is usually the coldest 



