CEYLON BRANCH— ROYAL ASIATIC SOCIETY, 81 



In the accompanying Diagram the figures representing the 

 moon in her four phases, are placed as nearly as could be in 

 the right section of the division representing the month, and the 

 same being done with the water lines representing the height of 

 the river, a ready comparison may be made between the two. 

 We may there perceive how irregular have been the periods 

 of the moon's age at which the extreme rises of the Calany 

 took place. 



In the south-west monsoon the heaviest falls of rain occur 

 usually towards the end of May and during the month of June. 

 In the north-east monsoon the greatest rise in the waters has 

 taken place in October, and occasionally also in the early part 

 of November. It may be observed that in the year 1843 the 

 greatest rise in the river occurred in the latter part of June at 

 the new moon, when the water rose to the height of 11 feet. 

 The rise in the other monsoon of that year was comparatively 

 trifling, not having exceeded 6 feet. 



In 1844 the extreme height in the south-west monsoon was 

 8 feet 10 inches on the 18th of June, and on this occasion 

 the moon was only two days old. In October of the same 

 year the river attained the greatest height it had been known 

 to do for many years, having risen to 12j feet, this occurred 

 exactly two days prior to the new-moon, on the 12th of 

 that month. 



The year of 1845 was one of extreme drought and we ac- 

 cordingly find the highest point to which the Calany rose was 

 in June to 6 feet 11 inches: in December it attained 6 feet 

 4 inches. 



In 1846 we shall find 8 feet 10 inches was the extreme 

 height of the waters in June, a day or two previous to the 

 full moon. In July the register indicated 7 feet and \ at the 

 moons last quarter, but during the entire remainder of the year,, 

 although plentiful rains fell throughout the Island, the Calany 



