NOTES ON THE SIAMESE PROVINCES OF KOOWI, &C. 69 



islands at the mouth of this river showing wide channels 

 between them and the mainland. Now those islands are almost 

 in contact with the mainland ; roughly guessing I should say 

 some 500 acres have come above high-water mark since then. 



Meteorological. 



The main range of hills, although only 1,600 feet in height, 

 determines the rainy season on the West side with the S.W. 

 Monsoon, while in these four provinces on the East side with 

 the N.E. Monsoon. But with the exception of some heavy 

 downfalls in November and December, there is little of a 

 rainy season, rain falling more or less all the year through. 



Rainfall at Paron, Bangtaphan, for i8go. 









< 





a 



3 



bio 



< 



Oh 



CO 







> 



O 



5-2 



Dec. 



l -5 



^•1 



r -5 



5-7 



4-5 



1.2 



3-5 



4.6 



34 



8.2 



20.6 



The total rainfall for 1890 at Bangtaphan was 63 inches, 

 but at Mergui, on the other side of the Peninsula, it was over 

 200 inches. The change of the Monsoon always came 

 gradually. Towards the end of April the wind veered towards 

 the South and kept changing, so that May was half spent 

 before it finally settled in the S.W. So again in October; for 

 several days it may have blown from the N.E. and again 

 returned to the S.W., so that November had well begun 

 before we enjoyed those steady cold breezes from the N.E. 

 that gave a piquancy to life. 



In May, the hottest month of the year, the thermometer 

 in the shade registered on an average 84.5 at 9 a.m. and 91 ° 

 at midday, while at night it never sunk below 75 . But in 

 December, I have seen the minimum thermometer register 

 outside 59 , and in the shade 65 at night. 



