86 



CEYLON BRANCH 



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 ether 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 12-| 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 J at the moon's 

 last quarter, but during the entire remainder of the year, al- 

 though plentiful rains fell throughout the Island, the Calany 

 never attained a greater height than 7 feet. The same may 

 be remarked in reference to the register of the previous year 



